The 2026 ACC Baseball Championship got off to a dramatic start on Tuesday night at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the Stanford Cardinal erupted for an 11‑4 win over the California Golden Bears.
Stanford’s offense was relentless, plating at least one run in five consecutive innings and pulling away with a five‑run stretch that turned a modest lead into a comfortable margin.
The big bats belonged to Charlie Bartes and Jimmy Nati, each delivering three RBIs that helped fuel the surge, while Hideki Prather and Ethan Kodama answered with two RBIs apiece for California.
On the mound, Stanford’s Aidan Keenan sealed the victory with a flawless ninth inning, preserving the shutout and earning the win for the Cardinal pitching staff.
Next up: Miami
The Cardinal will face the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday, May 20, at 1 p.m. ET, a matchup that will stream live on the ACC Network as the tournament moves into its second round.