Rivets' Kick off 2026 Season with a High-Scoring Victory
Northwoods Rockford Rivets

Rivets' Kick off 2026 Season with a High-Scoring Victory

Published on May 26, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Rockford Rivets News Release


ROCKFORD, Ill. - A Memorial Day crowd packed Rivets Stadium on Monday as Rockford kicked off the season and began a two-game home stand against the Kenosha Kingfish.

The Rockford Rivets began the 2026 season in a high-scoring matchup and secured the win, 8-6, to send the crowd home happy.

"I think it was a great excitement for the players," Rivets manager Bob Koopmann said. "They've been off for a little bit, some of them just got here, but getting out there and being able to play, and especially coming up with a win, I think they really enjoyed that." ‚¬â€¹

On the mound for Rockford was left-handed pitcher Baris Brua (University of Wisconsin), who pitched through four innings, allowing three hits, four runs scored, and four strikeouts.

It was an offensive battle, with 16 hits and 14 runs scored from both teams combined. Base running was on display throughout the matchup, with the Rivets earning four stolen bases while the Kingfish earned three.

"Our starting pitcher, he battled, and he got into the fourth," Koopmann said. "He'll go further next time out, but they did run a little bit on him, and he is a little bit longer to the plate, and we talked about it. There are things that we can work on where we can be a little quicker." ‚¬â€¹

Kenosha was able to capitalize at the top of the second inning with a double steal and a wild pitch to kick off the scoring, 2-0.

The Rivets didn't take long to respond, after a bases clearing triple in the bottom of the second by third baseman Colin McCormick (Bradley University) to make it 3-2 Rockford.

The scoring continued for the Rivets in the bottom of the third inning, where first baseman Davis Collie (John A. Logan C.C.) earned a double that was followed by stealing both third base and home plate on a wild pitch to make it 4-2.

Despite a pitching change for the Rivets during the inning to right-handed pitcher Max Woll, pitching woes began to creep into the top of the fourth inning for the Rivets. The Kingfish earned four runs, which included a two-run homer to give them back the lead, 6-4. ‚¬â€¹

The back-and-forth offensive battle continued into the bottom of the fifth, where another wild pitch would benefit the Rivets, bringing in right fielder Bryce Nevils (John A. Logan C.C.). Left fielder Aidan Capone (Olney Central College) quickly followed with an RBI single to bring in Collie and tie it up once again, 6-6.

Rockford would pick up where they left off in the bottom of the sixth, with Nevils' two-out RBI single bringing in shortstop Jackson Forbes (University of Arizona) for the third lead change of the game, putting the Rivets up, 7-6.

Forbes completed his three-hit, two-run scored game with a solo home run to right field for the Rivets' first homer of the season and to extend the lead.

"I'm getting to learn more about Jackson every day," Koopmann said. "He played here last year, and he played shortstop, but he can play anywhere in the infield. Finding the spot to put him in the order, I really thought he had to be our lead-off hitter. He's got the experience, and he certainly came through tonight."

Right-handed pitcher Ben Buehring (UW-Oshkosh) took the Rivets to the finish line and struck out the final Kingfish batter, putting his team into the win column to start the summer.

The Rivets and the Kingfish will be back in action at Rivets Stadium on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets to Rivets games all season long at www.rockfordrivets.com.

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Northwoods League Stories from May 26, 2026


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