MURRAY— Defending Missouri Valley Conference and NCAA Super Regionals baseball champion Murray State opened the 2026 season by taking two of three games from Ohio University over the weekend in Carbondale, Illinois.

Murray State split a doubleheader on Sunday, taking the first game, 11-8, before falling 15-13 in a high-scoring nightcap. 

Murray State used a powerful start in the opener to secure the series victory, launching two three-run home runs in the first inning to build an early lead they would not surrender. The second game turned into an offensive shootout, with both teams combining for 28 runs and 30 hits. The Racers nearly erased an eight-run deficit with late rallies in the seventh and ninth innings but saw their comeback

Daylan Pena crushed a three-run home run to give Murray State a quick 3-0 advantage in the first inning of Game 1. Later in the inning, Sloan Barrett followed suit with a three-run blast of his own to right-center field. Kristofer Hokenson capped the seven-run frame by reaching on an error that allowed Kainen Jorge to cross the plate.

Murray State added to its lead in the fourth with a Chisolm solo home run, and Kingsley Guthrie had an RBI hit by pitch. A wild pitch then scored  Mistone, extending the lead to 10-3.

Colby Ott provided an insurance run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. Starting pitcher Jacob Hustedde earned the win, while Dylan Zentko closed the game on the mound. 

Murray State answered an early Ohio run with three of their own in the bottom of the first of Game 2. Pena doubled to score Mistone, followed by an RBI triple from Jorge. Parker Airhart then singled to left to bring Jorge home for a 3-1 lead.

After the Bobcats reclaimed the lead in the middle innings. Airhart delivered another RBI single in the third and Mistone got an RBI on a fielder’s choice in the fourth.

Trailing 11-5 entering the seventh, the Racers scored five runs. The Racers continued to fight in the ninth inning, looking to complete the comeback. Tyler Butina kept hope alive with an RBI double to center field that scored Barrett. Jorge then launched a two-run home run to cut the deficit to two, but the rally ended there.

On Friday, Mistone drove in five runs to tie a career high in a 13-4 win in the Racers’ season opener.

Six players recordedmulti-hit games. Mistone, Parker Airhart, and Kainen Jorge led the charge with three hits apiece, while Daylan Pena, Anthony Perritano, and Sloan Barrett each added two hits.

The Racers’ power came in the form of three doubles, two from Perritano and one from Mistone.

On the mound, Nic Schutte earned the win, striking out four and allowing four hits over four innings of work. The bullpen quartet of Jack Wajda, Ben Rosin, Parker Patterson, and Jacob Roettgen combined to lock down the victory, allowing Ohio U just one earned run over the final five innings.