NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox baseball team began their 2026 home slate with a four-game series against Centenary, starting the week off with their first win on the season so far, 5-2.

How It Happened
It wouldn't take long for several George Fox underclassmen to make an impact. After three outs in four batters for sophomore pitcher Bryan Ho, freshman Jayson Au Hoy stepped up to the plate. In his first plate appearance at Morse Athletic field, Au Hoy sent the ball out to right-field with a 396-yard moon shot to score the first run of the game. 

Fox continued to build on their lead as Ho pitched a scoreless five innings. In the third inning, BJ Tokushima doubled to center field, scoring Joey Marasco and Kaden Oshiro  as the Bruins looked to leave the Gents in the dust.  Before the inning was over, Tokushima took advantage of a low pitch, stealing third base and scored on a throwing error by Centenary—advancing the score once again to 4-0. 

It only went up from there for the Bruins as Marasco homered to left center, claiming his first career homer in his first game in Newberg. Down 5-0, Centenary was able to scatter runs in the sixth and eighth innings, but couldn't catch up in time as Fox took the victory with a 5-2 win thanks to a strikeout from freshman pitcher Cole Schmidt.

Top Performances
Joey Marasco and Jayson Au Hoy each tallied a home run on the day, while Moraso scored two runs for the game. Kaden Oshiro tallied one hit and one run, while  BJ Tokushima led the team with two hits and two RBI.

On the mound, Bryan Ho pitched a near-flawless five innings for Fox, not allowing a run and striking out seven to earn the win for Fox. Junior transfer Joey Wilcox pitched two innings, allowing just one hit, while Cole Schidt picked up the save thanks to a scoreless ninth inning.

Coach's Thoughts
"Great to win the home opener," Bruin head coach Kevin Kopple said, "The freshman came up big at the plate and on the mound.  We have to continue to get better each day."

What It Means
George Fox rises to 1-3 while Centenary falls to 3-6 on the young season. 

What Comes Next
The Bruins will continue playing against Centenary with a doubleheader on Friday, February 20. First pitch is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am.