Baseball Opens Home Series Against Central Methodist

Marshall, Mo., (March 28, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team opened a weekend Heart of America Athletic Conference series at home against Central Methodist (Mo.), Saturday afternoon inside Wood & Huston Field at Indian Foothills Park.  The Vikings led early, but fell in a close first game, 4-2, before falling in game two of the doubleheader.

The first game started with Central Methodist threatening in the top of the first inning, eventually loading the bases with two outs.  However, Sophomore Pitcher Phillip Rushman (Lincoln, Neb.) got out of the inning without giving up any runs, and stranding all three CMU runners on-base.  Missouri Valley followed with production from the plate in the bottom half, as Sophomore Shortstop Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) led off with a single, and Junior Leftfielder Alex Alton (Jacksonville, Mo.) came through with a double.  Senior Rightfielder Colton Campbell (Aledo, Texas) walked to load the bases, and Freshman Catcher Gabe Duncan (St. Peters, Mo.) brought in both Suzuki and Alton with a single to left field to make it a 2-0 score.  The Eagles came back with two runs in the top of the second inning, using two hits and one MVC error to tie the score at 2-2.  In the top of the third, Central Methodist added one more run to move in front, 3-2.  Rushman came back to take down the Eagles in order in the top of the fourth, striking out one batter.  The top of the fifth featured a pair of singles from CMU, to go with an error and a sac-fly to put the Vikings in a 4-2 deficit.  Missouri Valley tried to rally in the sixth, as Duncan and Sophomore Third Baseman Bradley Johnson (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) both singled.  Both runners moved into scoring position, but were left stranded to end the at-bat.  Rushman worked around a leadoff double in the top of the seventh inning, and got out of the situation without giving up another run.  The final at-bat for MVC ended without anyone reaching safely, and the Vikings fell by a final score of 4-2.

Johnson finished with three hits, while Duncan had two hits and two RBIs.  Both Suzuki and Alton had one hit and one run scored.  Rushman went the full seven innings, giving up seven hits and two earned runs with one strikeout.

Central Methodist went in front at the start of the second game, using a solo home run to sit with a 1-0 advantage.  Missouri Valley answered in the bottom half of the inning, as Senior Leftfielder Shumpei Kaneko (Saitama, Japan) belted a one-out solo homer to tie the teams at 1-1.  Later in the inning, Freshman Designated Hitter Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.) worked a two-out walk, followed by a single from Duncan, and a walk earned by Johnson to load the bases.  The Vikings were unable to bring any of those runners home, and stayed tied at 1-1 after the first inning of play.  The Eagles added one more run in the top of the second inning, then scored four runs in both the third and fourth innings to hold a 10-1 lead.  Missouri Valley was unable to cut down its deficit through the rest of the game, and eventually fell by a final score of 11-1.

Kaneko had two hits, one run and one RBI.  Suzuki, Nickerson, Duncan, Johnson and Sophomore Centerfielder Zachary Wilson (St. Louis, Mo.) each added one hit.  

Missouri Valley drops to 2-26 on the season and 2-8 in the Heart.  Central Methodist improves to 18-11 overall and 7-3 in the conference.

Up next, the two teams will finish their weekend series with a doubleheader, Sunday at 12 p.m., inside Wood & Huston Field.

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.