Blue Raider baseball falls to Sam Houston in final game of series

Sunday, April 26

Huntsville, TX

12 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

22-22, 9-12

Sam Houston

20-24, 9-12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Middle Tennessee	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	7	1
Sam Houston	0	2	0	0	6	0	0	1	X	9	12	1

4/26/2026 3:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Willie Phaler, MTSU Athletic Communications

HUNTSVILLE, Texas- Middle Tennessee fell 9-3 (22-22, 9-12 CUSA) on Sunday afternoon to Conference USA opponent Sam Houston (20-24, 9-12 CUSA).

The Blue Raider offense started hot against Sam Houston, putting up two runs in the first inning. Leadoff man Owen Nowak hit a home run over the right field wall on the third pitch of the game, marking his seventh long ball of the year.

Catcher Tyler Minnick followed this up with a single, where he later came around to score after a throwing error on a fielder's choice hit by Nathan Brewer.

After Sam Houston tied it at two with a home run of its own against left-handed starter Cole Torbett, the Blue Raiders clawed back to a 3-2 lead. Brewer gave Middle Tennessee runners on second and third with one out on a ground-rule double, and Brett Rogers cashed in with an RBI groundout.

Sam Houston rode a six-run fifth inning to bump out to a 8-3 lead.

The Blue Raiders used four arms in the loss. Torbett went 4.0-plus innings, while Landen Burch, John Michael Pickens and Abel Albarran all made appearances on the mound.

By the Numbers:

34: Tyler Minnick's on-base streak is now up to 34 games with his first inning single.

7: Akers' home run marked the Blue Raiders' seventh home run of the weekend. This sets the mark for the most home runs the offense has produced in a weekend this year, after hitting six opening weekend against Bellarmine.

31.0: With 2.2 innings under his belt today, John Michael Pickens has eclipsed the 31.0 inning mark on the season.

Up Next:

The Blue Raiders will round out a five-game road trip in the midweek slate on Tuesday, making a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, taking on the Vanderbilt Commodores (26-18, 10-10 SEC). The game will be televised on SECN+, with a radio broadcast available on WGNS and the Blue Raider Network. First pitch from Hawkins Field is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.