Bolivar, Mo. - Southwest Baptist University baseball is back this weekend for their season opener. Their first set of games were originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday, but got moved back to Sunday, Monday due to weather. SBU will now only play Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.The two teams will start with a double-header on Sunday beginning at noon with a single game taking place on Monday at 1:00 p.m.

The Bearcats bring a diverse amount of newcomers and returners to their squad. Some of the top returners for the team include Lane Snow, Raydley Legito, and Ryan McClish. Snow started in all 47 games he appeared in last season and was third on the team in hitting with a .302 batting average. Legito appeared in 47 games last year and was a force around the field, playing in a variety of positions. He led the team in assisted outs with 75 and had a fielding percentage of .962. McClish was the top pitcher from last season with the best ERA and led the team in wins. One of his signature wins came against Illinois Springfield where he threw a shutout with eight strikeouts. 

Southwest Baptist brings in an exciting group of newcomers in 2026, highlighted by outfielder Ryan Ray, one of the coaching staff's top additions. The 6-foot-2 transfer from Otero College put together an impressive season last year, hitting .335 with 10 home runs, 64 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. He carried that momentum into the fall, batting .400 with a 1.224 OPS during SBU's fall season. Beau Honeycutt is another transfer that will be a staple in the lineup. He is a two time region gold glover for Black Hawk College. 

SBU begins the season against Ouachita Baptist University. The Tigers finished last season 24–25 overall and 20–13 in Great American Conference (GAC) play. They are led by ace Chase Orberle, a D2 Baseball Preseason All-America Second Team selection who has earned multiple All-Conference honors during his career.

After back to back away weekends, the Bearcats will turn their attention to their first home series of the season against the University of Central Missouri on February 13–14. The Mules enter the year ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II, setting up an early-season test at home for SBU.