Baseball Closes Home Heart Series With Doubleheader Against Central Methodist

Marshall, Mo., (March 29, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team finished a weekend Heart of America Athletic Conference series at home against Central Methodist (Mo.) Sunday afternoon inside Wood & Huston Field at Indian Foothills Park. The Vikings fell in a close first game, 12-9, and dropped the second game, 14-8.

Game one started with Central Methodist going in front in the top of the first inning, using two hits to produce two runs.  Missouri Valley responded in the bottom half, as Sophomore Second Baseman Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) walked, Senior Leftfielder Shumpei Kaneko (Saitama, Japan) followed with a single, and Freshman Third Baseman Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.) came up next and knocked out a three-run homer to put the Vikings ahead, 3-2.  The Eagles answered back, scoring five runs on four hits to reclaim the lead in the top of the second, 7-3.  After a scoreless inning for Missouri Valley, Freshman Pitcher Justin Case (Fulton, Mo.) took down CMU in order in the top of the third, striking out one batter and inducing two fly-outs.  The Vikings were unable to create from the plate in the bottom of the third inning, and Central Methodist added two more runs in the top of the fourth to make it a 9-3 score.  Missouri Valley responded, as Sophomore First Baseman Wyatt Kemper (Ste. Genevieve, Mo.) led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Junior Catcher Josh Hudson (Kansas City, Mo.) walked, and with two-outs, Kaneko belted a three-run homer to cut the MVC deficit in the bottom of the fourth, 9-6.  

Both teams were held scoreless in the fifth inning.  The Eagles used one hit to produce one run in the top of the sixth to stay in front, 10-6.  Missouri Valley answered back in the bottom half, as both Kaneko and Junior Leftfielder Alex Alton (Jacksonville, Mo.) singled and Nickerson brought home a runner on a single.  Later in the at-bat, Junior Designated Hitter Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan) walked to load the bases, Sophomore Shortstop Bradley Johnson (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) walked, allowing Alton to come home, and a balk from Central Methodist's pitcher brought Nickerson home to close the gap down to 10-9.  The top of the seventh featured two runs on two hits for the Eagles, extending their lead out to 12-9.  Missouri Valley put two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Suzuki singled and Kaneko walked, but they were left stranded, and the Vikings fell by a final score of 12-9.

Kaneko led with four hits, three runs, and three RBI's, while Nickerson followed with three hits, two runs scored, and four RBI's. Suzuki, Alton, and Kemper each finished with one hit and one run.

The second game began with a double-play started by Alton to finish out the top of the first inning.  Missouri Valley went in front in the bottom of the first inning, as Johnson doubled, Alton followed with another double to bring home Johnson, and Hattori belted a two-run homer to go on top, 3-0.  Central Methodist got a run back in the top of the second on a MVC error, and added four more runs in the top of the third to move in front, 5-3.  After a scoreless inning for the Vikings,  Freshman Pitcher J.R. Reed (Fort Worth, Texas) faced the minimum in the top of the fourth.  Missouri Valley produced from the plate in the bottom half of the inning, as Freshman First Baseman Dalton Fritsche (Perryville, Mo.) singled, and advanced to second and then third on two grounders.  Johnson brought in Fritsche with a single to second base to put the Vikings in a 5-4 deficit.  The Eagles responded with a long at-bat in the top of the fifth, using five hits to score five runs to hold a 10-4 advantage. Missouri Valley was taken down in order in the bottom of the fifth, and both teams were held scoreless in the sixth inning.  Central Methodist extended their lead in the top of the seventh, as they scored four runs on three hits and two MVC errors to make it a 14-4 score.  Missouri Valley tried to work back late in the game, as Freshman Pinch Hitter Charles Bedosky (Kansas City, Mo.) singled, and Freshman Pinch Hitter El-Roi Hasabu (Shawnee, Kan.) reached first on a fielder's choice.  Alton followed with a single, and Nickerson brought home a runner, and Hattori then reached first on a CMU error, allowing Alton to reach home safely.  Later in the at-bat, Hudson reached first on another fielder's choice, and Fritsche recorded a two-RBI double to close the rally, and Missouri Valley eventually fell by a final score of 14-8.

Alton finished with two hits, two runs, and one RBI. Fritsche added two hits, one run scored, and two RBI's, while Johnson had two hits, one run, and one RBI.  Hattori added one hit and two runs.  Junior Pitcher Rowan Robinson (Calgary, Alberta) went 3.0 innings, giving up four hits and five earned runs with four strikeouts.

Missouri Valley drops to 2-28 overall and 2-10 in the Heart.  Central Methodist improves to 20-11 on the season and 9-3 in the conference. 

Up next, the Vikings baseball team will travel to Kansas City, Mo., for a non-conference doubleheader against Avila (Mo.), Tuesday, starting at 1 p.m. 

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.