Baseball Drops Pair of Games at Missouri S&T

Rolla, Mo., (Feb. 19, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team traveled to Rolla, Mo., for a non-conference doubleheader against NCAA Division II Missouri S&T, Thursday afternoon.

Game one opened with Missouri Valley threatening in the top of the first inning, as both Senior Leftfielder Shumpei Kaneko (Saitama, Japan) and Junior Designated Hitter Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan) singled with one out.  However, a double-play ended the threat, and kept the game scoreless.  Missouri S&T followed with a rally in the bottom half of the inning, using two hits and one MVC error to produce three runs to move the team in front, 3-0.  The Miners came close to increasing their lead in the bottom of the second inning, but Freshman First Baseman Dalton Fritsche (Perryville, Mo.) threw a runner out at the plate trying to score and kept the Vikings at a three-run deficit.  Junior Pitcher Rowan Robinson (Calgary, Alberta) faced the minimum in the bottom of the third, striking out one batter, then took down Missouri S&T in the fourth inning.  Missouri Valley was unable to work down its gap in the top of the fifth, and the Miners added one more run in the bottom half of the inning to make it a 4-0 score.  After a scoreless top of the sixth, Missouri S&T tacked on another three runs in the bottom of the inning to stretch its lead out to 7-0.  The Vikings tried to rally in the top of the seventh, which started on a walk from Hattori, while Senior Rightfielder Colton Campbell (Aledo, Texas) singled.  Freshman Pinch Hitter Charles Bedosky (Kansas City, Mo.) walked to load the bases, but all three runners were left stranded to end the at-bat, and close a 7-0 loss for Missouri Valley.

Kaneko, Hattori, Campbell and Freshman Third Baseman Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.) each had one hit.  Robinson went 4.2 innings on the mound, giving up four hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts.

Missouri S&T went in front early at the start of game two, scoring one run in the bottom of the first inning.  Sophomore Pitcher Gavin Locke (Concordia, Mo.) got out of the at-bat with an inning-ending strikeout to strand two Miners on-base, and keep the game at a 1-0 score.  Missouri Valley responded with a rally in the top of the second, which started on a double from Nickerson.  Next up was Senior Centerfielder Filippo Bianchi (Piacenza, Italy), who put a ball into play that resulted in an error, and allowed Nickerson to score, tying the contest at 1-1.  Later in the inning, Sophomore Second Baseman Bradley Johnson (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) hit a sac-fly to center, and brought home Bianchi to put MVC on top, 2-1.  Missouri S&T came back in the bottom half of the inning and used a hit batter, one hit and one walk to produce one run and tie the teams at 2-2.  The Vikings responded with more runs in the top of the third, as a two-run homer from Nickerson sent the team ahead at a 4-2 score.  The bottom half of the inning featured a long rally for the Miners, producing five runs on four hits and one MVC error to put the team in front, 7-4.

Missouri Valley worked through a scoreless bottom of the fourth, stranding two runners on-base, and striking out one batter.  The Vikings cut into their deficit in the top of the fifth.  Nickerson reached with a one-out walk, and eventually came home on a Freshman Catcher Gabe Duncan (St. Peter's, Mo.) double to cut the gap down to 7-5.  Missouri S&T followed with another long at-bat in the bottom half of the inning, scoring eight runs on six hitS and one error, stretching its lead out to 15-5.  Missouri Valley got two of those runs back in the sixth, as Bedosky reached with a single, then came home later in the inning on an error.  Sophomore Shortstop Devin Norwood (Pearl, Miss.) also singled, and eventually came home on a fielder's choice grounder from Campbell.  The Miners added one more run in the bottom of the seventh, then held MVC scoreless in the top of the seventh.  Missouri Valley fell by a final score of 16-7.

Nick led with two hits, three runs and two RBI's.  Campbell had one hit, one run and one RBI.  Norwood and Bedosky each had one hit and one run scored. 

The pair of losses drop Missouri Valley to 0-10, while Missouri S&T improves to 4-1.

Up next, the Viking baseball team is scheduled to host Mayville (N.D.) State in a four-game series, with doubleheaders Feb. 27 and 28.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.