Baseball Finishes Home Series With Sunday Doubleheader Against William Woods

Marshall, Mo., (April 19, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team hosted William Woods (Mo.) in a Senior Day doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Wood & Huston Field to close a Heart of America Athletic Conference series.  The Vikings had a late rally fall short to drop game one, 10-9, then fell in game two of the doubleheader.

Game one opened with William Woods going in front early, producing one run in the bottom of the first inning.  Missouri Valley threatened in the bottom half, as Sophomore Shortstop Bradley Johnson (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) reached with a one-out double, but was thrown out at home trying to score on a single from Freshman Designated Hitter Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.).  The Owls added to their advantage in the top of the second inning, using two hits to produce two runs and make it a 3-0 score. Freshman Pitcher Carson Rustemeyer (Jefferson City, Mo.) bounced back in the top of the third, taking down WWU in order, striking out one batter.  The Vikings put together a rally in the bottom of the third, which started on back-to-back singles from Junior Catcher Josh Hudson (Kansas City, Mo.) and Sophomore Second Baseman Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan).  After a sac-bunt moved the pair into scoring position, Freshman Centerfielder Aiden Bearden (Kansas City, Mo.) belted out a three-run homer to clear the bases.  The rally continued as Nickerson, Sophomore Third Basemen Devin Norwood (Pearl, Miss.) and Senior Leftfielder Shumpei Kaneko (Saitama, Japan) each worked walks to load the bases with one out.  Senior Rightfielder Colton Campbell (Aledo, Texas) then brought home Nickerson from third on a fourth-straight walk.  However, MVC left the bases loaded to end the inning, as the team moved ahead, 4-3.

William Woods responded in the top of the fourth, knocking out a solo homer to tie the contest at 4-4.  The Owls then added another run in the fifth, and two more runs in the sixth to pull ahead, 7-4.  The Vikings cut into their deficit in the bottom of the sixth, as Campbell reached with a single, stole second base, and scored on a grounder from Junior Pinch Hitter Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan).  The seventh inning featured production from the plate by both teams.  The Owls used five hits to score four runs to extend their lead out to 10-5.  Scoring in the bottom of the seventh began on a two-run homer from Nickerson.  Kaneko followed with another two-run homer to cut the gap down to 10-9, all accomplished with one out.  Campbell singled to bring the winning run to the plate.  However, the next two batters were unable to reach base safely, and Missouri Valley fell, 10-9.

Nickerson totaled two hits, two runs and two RBIs, while Kaneko had two hits, one run and two RBIs.  Campbell finished with two hits, one run and one RBI, and Johnson had two hits and one run scored.  Bearden added one hit, one run and three RBIs.  Rustemeyer went five innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs with three strikeouts.

Game two featured two hits and one run scored from Campbell, while Kaneko added one hit and one run.  Senior Leftfielder Kevon Marshall (Chicago, Ill.) added one hit and one RBi, while Hattori had one hit.  The Vikings fell in the second game by a 13-2 final score.

Missouri Valley falls to 3-41 on the season and 3-21 in the Heart.  William Woods improves to 24-17 overall and 15-9 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking baseball team close its regular season with a Heart series in Baldwin City, Kan., against Baker (Kan.).  Doubleheaders will be played Thursday and Friday, starting at 4 p.m., each day.

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.