Missouri State University announced on April 23 that its baseball team will face Louisiana Tech in a three-game series this weekend at Pat Patterson Park in Ruston, Louisiana. The games are scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m., with coverage available on ESPN+ and local radio.
This series marks the first ever meetings between Missouri State (26-12, 14-4 Conference USA) and Louisiana Tech (24-18, 11-7). The matchup is significant as both teams compete for position within Conference USA during the regular season.
Missouri State enters the weekend ranked No. 17 in the NCAA RPI through April 21 and remains No. 23 in the Perfect Game Top 25. The Bears have played one of the toughest schedules in Division I baseball, with their opponents holding a combined .562 winning percentage so far this season. Their remaining schedule is projected to be even more challenging.
The Bears have demonstrated strong offensive performance under head coach Joey Hawkins, particularly since he took over as hitting coach in 2022. They rank eighth nationally with a total of 498 home runs since then and lead Conference USA this year with a .311 batting average, .551 slugging percentage, and .418 on-base percentage. Junior Caden Bogenpohl has drawn national attention by ranking tenth with forty walks this season; his career total of one hundred forty-eight walks is second all-time at Missouri State.
Senior Taeg Gollert also stands out among active NCAA players with seventy career doubles—a school record—and ranks high nationally across several offensive categories including hits, RBIs, total bases, and extra-base hits. Two-way players Max Knight and Curry Sutherland were named semifinalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year award due to their contributions both offensively and as pitchers.
This year marks Missouri State’s first season competing in Conference USA after thirty-five years in the Missouri Valley Conference.
