EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball opens the 2026 home schedule this weekend when it hosts Oakland University for a four-game series. The first pitch of the series, which is sponsored by Fairfield Inn West, will be a day early as the Screaming Eagles and the Grizzles will start play on
Thursday at 5 p.m. at the USI Baseball Field.
The new game schedule for this weekend is a single game Thursday; a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m.; and a single game Saturday at 1 p.m. The series was originally slated for Friday through Sunday.
The series will be the first meeting between USI, which was 2-2 after the first weekend, and Oakland, which was 1-2, since 2023 when the Grizzlies took two of three from the Screaming Eagles.
Links to follow the Eagles during the opening weekend of 2026 can be found on
USIScreamingEagles.com and the
USI Baseball Schedule.
USI Baseball Notes:
USI opens season with series split. The USI Screaming Eagles split the opening weekend on the road in Bakersfield, California, versus Cal State Bakersfield. USI took game two, 7-6, and three, 14-8, while missing a chance to take game one, 8-7, with a runner thrown out at the plate, and game four, 11-10, stranding the bases loaded.
USI hitters roll into 2026. The Screaming Eagles were on a roll at the plate to start the year, batting a combined .329 (51-155) with 35 RBIs. Senior infielder
Patrick McLellan hit a blistering .471 with seven RBIs, six runs scored, two doubles, and a home run.
McLellan has perfect night. Senior infielder
Patrick McLellan had a perfect night in game two, going six-for-six, with five RBIs. The six hits were a career-best for the senior.
Pitching has battles in first series. USI pitching had a tough start with a 7.15 ERA through the first four games. The Screaming Eagles' hurlers did strikeout 35 Roadrunners in 34 innings of work and held Bakerfield hitters to a .246 batting average (31-126).
USI predicted 7th in 2026 OVC. The USI Screaming Eagles are predicted to place seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2026 by a vote of the league's coaches and communications directors and by D1Baseball.com.
USI advanced to OVC Championship for third-straight season: The Eagles earned a third trip to the OVC Championship during their third season of transitioning to NCAA Division I. The Eagles will be eligible for the NCAA postseason in 2026.
