Baseball Goes to Avila For Non-Conference Doubleheader

Kansas City, Mo., (March 31, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team traveled to Kansas City, Mo., for a non-conference doubleheader against Avila (Mo.), Tuesday afternoon.  The Viking dropped both games to the Eagles.

Game one opened with the teams unable to produce any runs through the first two innings of play.  Sophomore Pitcher Lukas Garza (Littleton, Colo.) worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first inning, helped by Freshman Catcher Gabe Duncan (St. Peter's, Mo.) throwing out a runner at second base to end the Avila at-bat, then Garza struck out one in the bottom of the second inning and left one runner stranded.  Missouri Valley produced with two outs in the top of the third inning, as Senior Centerfielder Shumpei Kaneko (Saitama, Japan) walked, then stole second base.  Junior Leftfielder Alex Alton (Jacksonville, Mo.) drove Kaneko home with a double, and the Vikings moved in front, 1-0.  The Eagles responded with a long at-bat in the bottom half of the inning, using five hits to eventually bring home six runs to take a 6-1 lead.  The Vikings got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth, as Junior Designated Hitter Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan) was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  Duncan singled, and Senior Rightfielder Colton Campbell (Aledo, Texas) drove home Hattori on a two-out single to cut the deficit down to 6-2.  Missouri Valley worked back again in the top of the fifth, as Alton doubled and came home on a two-run homer from Freshman Third Baseman Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.).  Later in the inning, a sac-fly from Freshman First Baseman Dalton Fritsche (Perryville, Mo.) allowed Hattori to reach home safely and make it a 6-5 score.  Avila stretched out its lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring nine runs on seven hits and one MVC error.  The Eagles then tacked on another five runs in the bottom of the sixth.  The final run of the game came in the top of the seventh, as another Fritsche single drove home Freshman Catcher El-Roi Hasabu (Shawnee, Kan.), but Missouri Valley fell by a final score of 20-6.

Alton finished with two hits, one run and one RBI, while Duncan added two hits.  Hattori had one hit and two runs scored, and Nickerson totaled one hit, one run and two RBI's.  Fritsche had one hit and two RBIs, and Campbell added one hit and one run.

Missouri Valley went in front early in the second game, as Alton reached on a fielder's choice, and eventually came home on a wild pitch to give the team a 1-0 advantage.  Avila answered in the bottom half of the inning, bringing home one run on a sac-fly to tie the score at 1-1.  After a scoreless top of the seven inning, AU went in front in the bottom half, using two hits and two walks to produce three runs and sit with a 4-1 advantage.  The Eagles tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth inning.  The Vikings cut into their deficit in the top of the fifth, using two walks and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases.  Hattori then worked a bases-loaded walk to score Sophomore Shortstop Bradley Johnson (Lawrenceburg, Ky.), and the gap sat at 5-2.  The bottom of the fifth featured Avila adding to its lead, scoring four more runs.  Missouri Valley got out of the inning with a double-play, started by Nickerson at third.  The sixth inning featured production from the plate by both teams.  Sophomore First Baseman Wyatt Kemper (Ste. Genevieve, Mo.) walked to open the top half of the inning, followed by a Campbell single.  Later in the inning, Kaneko drove in the two baserunners to put the deficit at 9-4.  The Eagles responded with two runs scored in the bottom of the sixth.  Avila had the bases loaded later in the at-bat, with one out, but Sophomore Pitcher Riley Rivera (Abernathy, Texas) got out of the jam on a pair of groundouts.  Missouri Valley was unable to produce from the plate in the top of the seventh inning, and fell by a final score of 11-4.

Kaneko finished with two hits and two RBIs, and Campbell had one hit and one run scored.  Nickerson added one hit.

Missouri Valley drops to 2-30, while Avila improves to 16-16

Up next, the Vikings are scheduled to play at Park (Mo.) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference series, Friday and Saturday in Parkville, Mo.  Friday's doubleheader is scheduled to start at 12 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.