MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris baseball team opened the 2026 season in the win column after defeating Martin Luther College 9-2 and 6-0 in a nonconference doubleheader Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
 
Game 1
Tyler Moriarty started the season with a single to left field, then advanced to second on an error but was left stranded to end the first inning. The Knights struck first in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded walk.
 
In the second, Aidan Moran delivered a two-out single to left-center and stole second base. Peyton Neadeau drove in Moran with a single to tie the game after two innings. Parker Gilchrist pitched a 1-2-3 third inning to keep UMM even.
 
Ryan McGie entered in the fourth and faced just three batters, striking out two. Neadeau drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, and Blake Imhoff followed to put two on with no outs. Bradie Black reached on a single to left, and an error allowed Neadeau to score. The lead grew to 3-1 on a Ben Meuser RBI single. McGie again faced the minimum in the fifth.
 
The Cougars broke the game open in the sixth. Landen Meyerdirk led off with a single and stole second. Neadeau reached on an error, scoring Meyerdirk. Moriarty added an RBI single, Black followed with an RBI double, and Meuser capped the three-run stretch with a double to put UMM ahead 7-1. The Knights scored once in the bottom of the sixth.
 
In the final innings, John Cromwell drew a leadoff walk. After Meyerdirk was hit by a pitch and Moran walked, the Cougars loaded the bases with no outs. Neadeau was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and Imhoff added a sacrifice fly for the final tally. Kellan Oligmueller pitched the final inning to secure the 9-2 victory.
 
UMM totaled nine hits, with Moriarty, Black, and Meuser each recording two. Black and Meuser both doubled. Meuser and Neadeau drove in two runs apiece, while Meyerdirk and Neadeau each scored twice.
 
On the mound, Gilchrist threw three innings with three strikeouts, two walks, and one earned run. McGie earned the win, striking out five while allowing one hit and one earned run. Oligmueller closed the game without allowing a baserunner.
 
Game 2
Travis Godfrey started on the mound and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to open game two. Moriarty drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half. A Meuser single put runners on the corners, and after Meuser stole second, Trevor Haberman delivered a two-RBI single to center to give UMM a 2-0 lead after one inning.
 
Godfrey followed with another clean inning, striking out two. Both teams' pitching staffs kept the score at 2-0 through four innings.
 
In the fifth, Johnny Lopez made his Cougar debut and struck out the first batter he faced. Minnesota Morris turned a double play to end the inning. In the bottom half, Haberman doubled and McGie walked. Meyerdirk drove in Haberman, and an error allowed Fred Huebner to score. Moran added an RBI single to left to give the Cougars a 5-0 advantage.
 
Luke McHugh pitched a scoreless sixth inning. Meyerdirk later drew a bases-loaded walk for the final run of the game. Breckin Silvain preserved the shutout as the Cougars secured the 6-0 win.
 
Minnesota Morris finished with 10 hits in the victory, led by Haberman's three. Moriarty, Meuser, and Moran each recorded two hits, while Meyerdirk added one. Haberman and Moran both doubled. The Cougars stole three bases, courtesy of Moriarty, Meuser, and Haberman.
 
Godfrey earned the win after four scoreless innings. Lopez, McHugh, and Silvain each contributed a scoreless inning of relief. The pitching staff combined for five strikeouts.
 
The Cougars return to U.S. Bank Stadium on March 4 to face Macalester College in a pair of seven-inning games beginning at 10:35 a.m.