Friday, April 3
Springfield, Mo.
5:30 PM
at
Missouri State
Photo by: Grant Sides
Weekend Preview: at Missouri State
4/2/2026 10:44:00 AM | Baseball
Games 29-31 | Hammons Field (Springfield, Mo.)
Sam Houston (14-14, 4-5 CUSA) at Missouri State (18-9, 6-3 CUSA)
Projected Starters
Friday, April 3 – 5:30 p.m. CT
SHSU: RHP Ryan Peterson (3-3, 1.43 ERA, 44.0 IP, 57 K, 12 BB)
MOST: RHP Ross Felder (1-1, 3.42 ERA, 23.2 IP, 20 K, 4 BB)
Saturday, April 4 – 2:00 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
SHSU: RHP Tyler Ryden (2-2, 2.49 ERA, 25.1 IP, 19 K, 12 BB)
MOST: RHP Owen Slater (3-2, 4.96 ERA, 32.2 IP, 27 K, 21 BB)
Sunday, April 5 – 1:00 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
SHSU: TBA
MOST: TBA
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston baseball team will be looking to make some noise in Conference USA play this weekend when it travels to Missouri State for a 3-game series beginning Friday night at Hammons Field.
Games on Saturday and Sunday can each be watched on ESPN+ with Don West and Tom Ladd on the call. Friday's series opener can be heard via the Bears' radio call on KBFL 96.9 FM, or online at MissouriStateBears.com
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Each game can also be followed via Statbroadcast or by following @BearkatsBSB on Instagram and X.
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The Kats have won each of their last two weekend series at FIU and vs WKU and will have their hands full with a Bears' squad who enters the weekend a perfect 12-0 at home after a dramatic walk-off win in 10 innings over No. 17 Arkansas on Tuesday night.
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Missouri State had won series over Liberty and Middle Tennessee to open CUSA play before dropping two of three games at Dallas Baptist a week ago. Still, they come into the weekend three games back of league-leading Jax State and firmly in the conversation for a possible at-large bid to the big dance as they currently boast the No. 10 RPI in the nation.
SERIES vs the BEARS
- The Bears own a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series after taking two of three games last year in Huntsville in the season-opener for both teams
- This will be the Kats' first-ever trip to Springfield with four of the previous five meetings all coming in Huntsville. The teams also met in San Marcos early in the 2013. In fact, this will be the first time the teams have met outside of the month of February
- Sam Houston will also be trekking to the Show-Me State for the first time as a Division I program. The Kats have not played in the state of Missouri since the 1975 NAIA World Series held in St. Joseph, Mo., where they battled Missouri Western, Lewis, Birmingham-Southern and East Connecticut State
NOTES
- Sam Houston is coming off a series win over WKU, getting 15.0 shutout innings of pitching from its first two starters, Ryan Peterson and Tyler Ryden, to win its first-ever weekend over the Hilltoppers
- Peterson is coming off a week full of recognition as he was named to the Baseball America Midseason Watch List and to Perfect Game's Midseason All-America third team. He is among just 15 arms selected from around the nation for BA's team and is joined by Liberty's Ben Blair as two of the three pitchers selected from non-Power 4 leagues
- Peterson's honors come after his complete-game, 1-hit shutout vs WKU on Friday. He currently leads CUSA in innings pitched (44.0), is third in ERA (1.43) and second in both strikeouts (57) and opponent batting average (.166)
- The offense has functioned better since the return of Ryan Franden for Conference USA play. The Kats are averaging 5.30 runs per game in the 12 games since Franden's return, compare to just 4.58 runs per game in the 12 games he missed
- Franden currently is riding a 7-game hit streak which includes three multi-hit games and a pair of multi-RBI outings. Freshman Cade Corcoran goes into Tuesday having reached base in 18 straight games, the longest such streak by a Bearkat freshman since Lane Brewster reached in 24 straight games in the 2022 season
- The Kats ran wild in its series win at FIU, swiping 15 bags in 17 tries but had just one steal in three games during the series win over WKU. Still, the Kats are tied with Jax State atop the CUSA rankings with 67 total steals, a mark which also ranks 26th nationally
Sam Houston (14-14, 4-5 CUSA) at Missouri State (18-9, 6-3 CUSA)
Projected Starters
Friday, April 3 – 5:30 p.m. CT
SHSU: RHP Ryan Peterson (3-3, 1.43 ERA, 44.0 IP, 57 K, 12 BB)
MOST: RHP Ross Felder (1-1, 3.42 ERA, 23.2 IP, 20 K, 4 BB)
Saturday, April 4 – 2:00 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
SHSU: RHP Tyler Ryden (2-2, 2.49 ERA, 25.1 IP, 19 K, 12 BB)
MOST: RHP Owen Slater (3-2, 4.96 ERA, 32.2 IP, 27 K, 21 BB)
Sunday, April 5 – 1:00 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
SHSU: TBA
MOST: TBA
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston baseball team will be looking to make some noise in Conference USA play this weekend when it travels to Missouri State for a 3-game series beginning Friday night at Hammons Field.
Games on Saturday and Sunday can each be watched on ESPN+ with Don West and Tom Ladd on the call. Friday's series opener can be heard via the Bears' radio call on KBFL 96.9 FM, or online at MissouriStateBears.com
Â
Each game can also be followed via Statbroadcast or by following @BearkatsBSB on Instagram and X.
Â
The Kats have won each of their last two weekend series at FIU and vs WKU and will have their hands full with a Bears' squad who enters the weekend a perfect 12-0 at home after a dramatic walk-off win in 10 innings over No. 17 Arkansas on Tuesday night.
Â
Missouri State had won series over Liberty and Middle Tennessee to open CUSA play before dropping two of three games at Dallas Baptist a week ago. Still, they come into the weekend three games back of league-leading Jax State and firmly in the conversation for a possible at-large bid to the big dance as they currently boast the No. 10 RPI in the nation.
SERIES vs the BEARS
- The Bears own a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series after taking two of three games last year in Huntsville in the season-opener for both teams
- This will be the Kats' first-ever trip to Springfield with four of the previous five meetings all coming in Huntsville. The teams also met in San Marcos early in the 2013. In fact, this will be the first time the teams have met outside of the month of February
- Sam Houston will also be trekking to the Show-Me State for the first time as a Division I program. The Kats have not played in the state of Missouri since the 1975 NAIA World Series held in St. Joseph, Mo., where they battled Missouri Western, Lewis, Birmingham-Southern and East Connecticut State
NOTES
- Sam Houston is coming off a series win over WKU, getting 15.0 shutout innings of pitching from its first two starters, Ryan Peterson and Tyler Ryden, to win its first-ever weekend over the Hilltoppers
- Peterson is coming off a week full of recognition as he was named to the Baseball America Midseason Watch List and to Perfect Game's Midseason All-America third team. He is among just 15 arms selected from around the nation for BA's team and is joined by Liberty's Ben Blair as two of the three pitchers selected from non-Power 4 leagues
- Peterson's honors come after his complete-game, 1-hit shutout vs WKU on Friday. He currently leads CUSA in innings pitched (44.0), is third in ERA (1.43) and second in both strikeouts (57) and opponent batting average (.166)
- The offense has functioned better since the return of Ryan Franden for Conference USA play. The Kats are averaging 5.30 runs per game in the 12 games since Franden's return, compare to just 4.58 runs per game in the 12 games he missed
- Franden currently is riding a 7-game hit streak which includes three multi-hit games and a pair of multi-RBI outings. Freshman Cade Corcoran goes into Tuesday having reached base in 18 straight games, the longest such streak by a Bearkat freshman since Lane Brewster reached in 24 straight games in the 2022 season
- The Kats ran wild in its series win at FIU, swiping 15 bags in 17 tries but had just one steal in three games during the series win over WKU. Still, the Kats are tied with Jax State atop the CUSA rankings with 67 total steals, a mark which also ranks 26th nationally
Players Mentioned
IF
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IF
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RHP
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RHP
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