OKLAHOMA CITY – MACU Baseball takes a second trip down to Louisiana to compete in the Cajun Collision starting first with Park on Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., followed by No. 1 LSU-Shreveport Friday evening at 6 p.m. The Evangels will take on No. 12 Missouri Baptist Saturday morning at 11 am, then finish the Cajun Collision with Central Baptist on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.  
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 0-2
• Last Game: Loss at Louisiana Christian – 13-5 – Jan. 22 – Pineville, La.  
• Stat Leaders (Hitting):
  • Sammy Hallada – JR – UTL
    • .429 BA (3-7), 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, .500 OBP%, .571 SLG%, 1.071 OPS%, 1 SB
  • Nick Hill – SR – INF
    • .429 BA (3-7), 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, .500 OBP%, .571 SLG%, 1.214 OPS%, 0 SB
  • Jalen King – JR – OF
    • .429 BA (3-7), 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 HBP, .500 OBP%, .429 SLG%, .929 OPS%, 0 SB
• Stat Leaders (Pitching):
  • Fabian Hernandez – SR – LHP
    • 1.40 ERA, 0-0 W-L, 1 APP, 1 GS, 0 CG, 0 SV, 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO, .125 OBA
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian opened its season on the road as the Evangels lost a pair against Louisiana Christian. MACU led 4-1 entering the last inning, before giving up four in the seventh inning to lose 5-4 in the season opener. The Evangels fell behind early in game two and lost by a final score of 13-5.
  • Fabian Hernandez was a bright spot on the mound for MACU pitching five innings allowing just two hits and one run with six strikeouts.
  • Three Evangels tallied three hits in the two-game series last week to lead the MACU offense.
  • Mid-America Christian remains in the top 25 in the latest NAIA Preseason Poll receiving 151 votes ranking the Evangels 19^th.

SCOUTING REPORT
 
Park (Mo.)

• Record: 0-0 (2025 Record: 24-20)
• Last Game: Loss vs Baker (Kan.) – 11-10 – May 3, 2025 – Ozark, Mo. – Heart Conference Tournament  
• Series vs Park (2006-): Park Leads 4-1
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 12-7 – Feb. 8, 2025 – Sterlington, La. – 2025 Cajun Collision
• Players to Watch (Hitting):
  • Evan Johnson – JR – INF
    •  2025 Stats: .318 BA (34-107), 6 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 20 RBI, 28 R, 18 BB, 5 HBP, .432 OBP%, .374 SLG%, .806 OPS%, 1 SB
• Players to Watch (Pitching):
  • James Hays – SO – RHP
    • 2025 Stats: 8.31 ERA, 1-3 W-L, 14 APP, 0 GS, 0 CG, 3 SV, 17.1 IP, 25 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 8 BB, 14 SO, .325 OBA
• Team Notes:
  • Park opens its season with the Cajun Collision this weekend with a renewed roster. The Pirates finished 24-20 last season, losing in the Heart Conference Tournament to the No. 6 seeded Baker in an 11-10 contest.
  • Evan Johnson is the leading returning hitter with a .318 batting average, batting in 20 runs off 34 hits.
  • This is the sixth meeting between MACU and Park as the Pirates hold a 4-1 all-time record against the Evangels dating back to a four-game series in the 2006 season. However, MACU defeated Park in its last meeting 12-7 in the 2025 Cajun Collision on Feb. 8, 2025.

 
SCOUTING REPORT
 
#1 LSU Shreveport

• Record: 6-0
• Last Game: Won vs. No. 4 Hope International (Calif.) – 2-1 – Feb. 1, 2025 – Shreveport, La.
• Series vs LSUS (2024-): LSUS Leads 3-1
• Last Game vs MACU: LSUS won 9-6 – May 14, 2025 – Shreveport, La. – NAIA Tournament (Opening Round)
• Players to Watch (Hitting):
  • Carlos Sanchez – JR –
    • .444 BA (12-27), 2 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB, .464 OBP%, .741 SLG%, 1.205 OPS%, 9 SB
  •  Spencer Sullivan – SR –
    • .435 BA (10-23), 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, .464 OBP%, .609 SLG%, 1.073 OPS%, 3 SB
• Players to Watch (Pitching):
  • Brock Lucas – SR – RHP
    • 3.68 ERA, 0-0 W-L, 2 APP, 2 GS, 7.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO
  • Evan Gant – JR – RHP
    • 0.00 ERA, 1-0 W-L, 2 APP, 2 GS, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 7 SO
• Team Notes:
  •  LSU Shreveport enters as the unanimous number one team in the NAIA Preseason Polls after a perfect 59-0 last season including a national championship.
  • The Pilots start the young season 6-0 after a double header sweep over Tabor, followed by a four-game series sweep over No. 4 Hope International last weekend.
  • Carlos Sanchez is the leading hitter with nine RBIs, batting a .444 average with nine stolen bases in six games.
  • LSUS holds the all-time record against MACU 3-1. The Pilots ended the Evangels season in the NAIA Tournament Opening Round after a 9-6 game in the last meeting on May 14, 2025.

SCOUTING REPORT
 
#12 Missouri Baptist

• Record: 0-0 (2025 Record: 42-11)
• Last Game: Loss at Cumberlands (Ky.) – 16-6 – May 15, 2025 – Williamsburg, Ky. – NAIA Second Round
• Series vs MBU (2024-): MACU Leads 1-0
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 6-3 – Feb. 9, 2024 – Sterlington, La. – 2024 Cajun Collision
• Players to Watch (Hitting):
  • Dominic Palma – SR – INF
    • 2025 Stats: .300 BA (60-200), 15 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 40 RBI, 57 R, 22 BB, 6 HBP, .383 OBP%, .430 SLG%, .813 OPS%, 20 SB
  • Jayden Orozco – GS – SS
    • 2025 Stats: .331 BA (50-160), 7 2B, 1 3B, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 50 R, 41 BB, 7 HBP, .481 OBP%, .650 SLG%, 1.131 OPS%, 11 SB
• Players to Watch (Pitching):
  • Teague Robertson – SR – RHP
    • 2025 Stats: 2.08 ERA, 5-2 W-L, 8 APP, 8 GS, 1 CG, 0 SV, 39.0 IP, 29 H, 15 R, 9 ER, 12 BB, 35 SO, .196 OBA
  • Gus Lucas – JR – LHP
    • 2025 Stats: 3.03 ERA, 5-0 W-L, 10 APP, 7 GS, 0 CG, 0 SV, 38.2 IP, 36 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 13 BB, 36 SO, .248 OBA
• Team Notes:
  • Missouri Baptist starts its 2026 season with the Cajun Collision entering the new year ranked No. 12 in the NAIA Preseason Polls after a 42-11 2025 season losing in the Second Round of the NAIA Tournament to University of the Cumberlands.
  • The Spartans have a pair of graduate senior hitters returning to lead the offense. Dominic Palma finished the 2025 season with 40 RBIs off 57 runs batting a .300 average. Jayden Orozco batted a .331 average with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs.
  • The Evangels and Spartan will meet for the second time as MACU won the only meeting 6-3 on Feb. 9, 2024, in Sterlington, La. during the 2024 Cajun Collision.

 
 
SCOUTING REPORT
 
Central Baptist (Ark.)

• Record: 2-0
• Last Game: Won at Champion Christian – 2-1 – Feb. 3, 2026– Hot Springs, Ark.  
• Series vs CBC (2004-): MACU Leads 17-8
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 6-0 – Feb. 6, 2021 – Dallas, Texas
• Players to Watch (Hitting):
  • Cesar Franco – SR – UTL
    •  .500 BA (3-6), 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, .571 OBP%, .667 SLG%, 1.238 OPS%, 0 SB
  • Ryan Dauphinee – JR – INF
    • .286 BA (2-7), 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 0 BB, .286 OBP%, .714 SLG%, 1.000 OPS%, 0 SB
• Players to Watch (Pitching):
  • Ryan Meyer – SR – RHP
    • 0.00 ERA, 1-0 W-L, 1 APP, 1 GS, 0 CG, 0 SV, 4.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
  • Dylan Parton – JR – LHP
    • 0.00 ERA, 1-0 W-L, 1 APP, 1 GS, 0 CG, 0 SV, 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
• Team Notes:
  • Central Baptist opened its new season on the road as the Mustangs went 2-0 against Champion Christian in Hot Springs, Ark.
  • The Mustangs have allowed just two runs in two games off the back of a pair of pitchers in Ryan Meyer and Dylan Parton who both pitched four innings allowing zero runs. Parton struck out five batters conceding just one hit, while Meyer allowed five hits with four strikeouts.  
  • MACU holds a 17-8 all-time record against CBC winning the last two over the Mustangs in Dallas, Texas on Feb. 6, 2021. The Evangels and Mustangs continue its series that dates back to its opening series on April 1, 2004.