ISU BASEBALL SET FOR 2026 CAMPAIGN

Image Courtesy of Sam Collins

NORMAL, Ill. – The road to Omaha begins for Illinois State Redbird baseball as they get set for the 2026 campaign when they travel to Cape Girardeau, MO to battle the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks in a three game weekend series.

Last season, ISU finished .500 going 28-28 in the regular season and 15-12 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

ISU comes into the season projected to finish fourth in the Valley, with only Murray State, Southern Illinois, and UIC projected to finish higher.

The Redbirds have six players on the MVC players to watch list for the 2026 season. However, Head Coach Steve Holm is focused on the whole group and is impressed with his whole roster.

“We like our group a lot,” said Holm. “We returned more than what we returned last year and returning players is vital.”

One of those returning players is outfielder Brayden Bakes, who finished last season with a team-best .326 average in 34 games played. This season will be different for Brayden though as his brother, Ryan, joins ISU via the transfer portal from South Carolina.

ISU will be on the road for the first month of the season, starting against the SEMO Redhawks, an opponent they have not faced since 2021. ISU looks to improve upon its 17-6-1 record versus SEMO, and to avenge the 3-1 loss the last time these two teams played.

ISU starts 2026 with 23 new players following a roster overhaul during an offseason that saw four players depart for Major League Baseball through the draft or signings.

February 13 will be a double header, with inclement weather forecasted for February 14.  Game one starts at 1 p.m. with first pitch at 3 p.m., first pitch for game two will be 20 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Game three is on February 15 at 1 p.m.

For all things Redbird baseball, be sure to stay tuned to wznd.com.