Baseball Closes Series at Missouri Baptist

St. Louis, Mo., (April 10, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team traveled to St. Louis, Mo., for a Friday afternoon doubleheader against No. 7 Missouri Baptist to close a Heart of America Athletic Conference series.  The Vikings had a late rally fall short in game two, falling by a 4-3 score.

Missouri Baptist moved out to an early lead in the opening game of the doubleheader, using three hits to produce two runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Freshman Pitcher Justin Case (Fulton, Mo.) came back to face the minimum in the bottom of the second, helped by an inning-ending double-play started by Sophomore Shortstop Bradley Johnson (Lawrenceburg, Ky.).  The Spartans added to their advantage in the bottom of the third, producing four runs on five hits and one MVC error to make it a 6-0 score.  Missouri Valley cut into its deficit in the top of the fourth, as Johnson reached on a one-out single, then stole second base.  Junior Designated Hitter Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan) reached on a two-out error, and the MBU mistake allowed Johnson to score to put the gap at 6-1.  Missouri Baptist added to its lead in the bottom half of the inning, scoring another six runs, then tacked on one more run in the bottom of the sixth.  The Vikings were unable to work back into the game, and fell by a final score of 13-1.

Johnson had two hits and one run, while Freshman Third Baseman Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.) added one hit. 

Game two began with Missouri Valley producing from the plate in the top of the first inning.  Johnson led off the game with a single, and eventually came home on a double from Hattori to put MVC in front, 1-0.  Missouri Baptist followed with one run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Vikings answered with more offense in the top of the second.  Junior Leftfielder Alex Alton (Jacksonville, Mo.) started the at-bat with a walk, and eventually moved to third base.  With two outs, Junior Catcher Josh Hudson (Kansas City, Mo.) drove home Alton with a single, and Missouri Valley sat on top, 2-1.  Sophomore Pitcher Phillip Rushman (Lincoln, Neb.) worked around a pair of one-out singles to get out of the jam with an inning-ending strikeout which stranded two runners on-base.  The Spartans threatened in the bottom of the third inning, but Rushman got out of the situation once again, as MBU left two runners stranded to end the at-bat.  The Vikings were taken down in order in the top of the fourth, while Missouri Baptist put together a rally in the bottom half, using three hits to produce three runs to move ahead, 4-2.  Hudson singled in the fifth, and stole second base, but was left stranded.  After a scoreless sixth inning, Missouri Valley tried to rally in the top of the seventh.  Alton led off the inning with a double, followed by a single from Senior Rightfielder Colton Campbell (Aledo, Texas).  Freshman Second Baseman Aidan Bearden (Kansas City, Mo.) singled to score Alton, and MVC had two runners on-base with no outs.  The first out of the inning came when Sophomore Pinch Runner Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) was tagged out at home on a fielder's choice grounder.  The Vikings still had two base runners, but could not advance either home.  The next two batters flied out and struck out to end the rally attempt, as Missouri Valley fell by a 4-3 final score.

Hudson had two hits while Alton totaled one hit and two runs scored.  Both Hattori and Bearden finished with one hit and one RBI each, while Johnson added one hit and one run.  Rushman pitched all six innings, giving up seven hits and four earned runs to go with two strikeouts.

Missouri Valley drops to 3-37 overall and 3-17 in the Heart.  Missouri Baptist moves to 31-5 on the season and 19-1 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking baseball team will travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to play Mount Mercy (Iowa) in a doubleheader, Tuesday, beginning 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.