LAFAYETTE, CA – February 21, 2026 — The Acalanes Freshman Dons kicked off their 2026 season with a convincing 9–6 win over Miramonte on Saturday at Acalanes High School, showing strong pitching, disciplined at-bats, and flashes of the talent that will make this group a tough opponent all year.
Acalanes set the tone early behind starting pitcher Luke Fishman, who delivered an outstanding opening day performance. Fishman was painting the corners by mixing together a healthy dose of speed and placement. He threw three innings of no-hit baseball, striking out four and keeping Miramonte off balance throughout.
The Dons broke through in the bottom of the second inning. Tyler Cosso started things off with a walk and then a quick steal of second base. Jackson Cooper took a fastball to the back to gain his way to first base. Catcher Alex Choi stepped to the plate and recorded Acalanes’ first hit of the season with a sharp line-drive single to right field. Stone Jaquet followed with an RBI walk and leading to Jonny Rubin who hit a tough, dying roller to second base for his first hit of the season, scoring two more.
Choi, who finished with 1 hit, 2 runs scored, also caught the entire game behind the plate, providing a steady backstop for the pitching staff throughout the afternoon.
Offensively, Jonny Rubin continued to fill the scorebook throughout the game, notching key run-producing hits in the 4th and 6th innings. He reached base in all four of his plate appearances and finished with 3 singles, 1 walk, 4 RBIs, and a stolen base. Centerfielder Stone Jaquet and first baseman Tyler Cosso also played a major role in creating scoring opportunities. Both walked twice and notched RBIs, showcasing a discerning eye at the plate and constant pressure on the bases.
Defensively, the Dons tallied two timely double plays — what many call “the pitcher’s best friend.”
Pitcher Bobby Ruhl who was was cruising through the mid innings ran into some trouble in the top of the fifth. With a runner on second base and one out, Miramonte’s #3 hitter laced a dying line drive to Rubin at shortstop. Rubin dove to make the catch and popped up quickly to fire the ball to second baseman Ian Powell to catch the runner leaning off the base.
In the top of the 7th, Rubin entered the game with a 6-run lead and was 3 outs away from their first victory of the season. Miramonte got hot thanks to some timely hitting and a few spring training errors, cutting the deficit to 3 runs. With runners on first and second and the tying run at the plate, Rubin induced a ground ball right back to him. He fired over to shortstop Jaquet to get the runner from first and then rocketed a strike to Cosso at first to end the game. a
Opening day always brings a few growing pains, but with strong pitching, disciplined hitting, and contributions across the roster, the Acalanes Freshman Dons showed they will be a competitive group this season. Baseball is back in Lafayette, and the Dons look ready for the year ahead.
