EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball opens the 2026 campaign with a four-game series at Cal State University Bakersfield in Bakersfield, California, February 13-16. The Screaming Eagles are scheduled to play CSUB in single games Friday at 8:30 p.m. (CT), Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT), Sunday at 6 p.m. (CT), and Monday at 3 p.m. (CT).
The four-game series will be the first meeting between USI, which was 27-29 overall and 15-12 in the Ohio Valley Conference last year, and CSUB, which was 18-38 overall in 2025.
Following the season-opening road trip, USI opens the 2026 home campaign February 20 when the Eagles host Oakland University for a four-game series at the USI Baseball Field. The series includes a single game on February 20 at 4 p.m., a doubleheader February 21 at 1 p.m., and a single game February 22 at 1 p.m.
Oakland, which was 19-41 last season, leads the all-time series with USI, 3-2. The last time USI and Oakland matched up was in 2023 when the Grizzles took two of three from the Screaming Eagles at the USI Baseball field.
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 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's top players returning for 2026. USI returns three All-OVC performers from last year in graduate outfielder
Khi Holiday (first team), senior infielder
Hunter Miller (second team), and senior infielder
Clayton Slack (second team). Senior left-hander
Jake Porter and junior right-hander
Abdriel Figueroa were named OVC Players to Watch in 2026.
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.
USI in 2025. The Eagles were 27-29 a year ago and 15-12 in the OVC last spring. The 15 wins in the OVC were a three-year conference high for USI, while the 27 wins overall tied a program best at Division I.
Returning hitters from 2025: The Eagles have three of their top five hitters returning for 2026. Junior infielder
Parker Martin was third on the team last season with a .341 average and second with 40 RBIs, while graduate outfielder
Khi Holiday followed with a .335 average and a team-best 24 stolen bases. Senior outfielder
Hunter Miller rounded out USI's top five last year with a .317 mark.
Returning on the mound from 2025: USI returns senior left-hander
Jake Porter and graduate right-hander
Ian Anderson, who tied for second last year with four wins each. Anderson and junior right-hander
Abdriel Figueroa were USI's leaders out of the bullpen last year with four saves and three saves, respectively.
Ramirez coaching tree. CSUB Head Coach Jordan Banfield was an assistant coach for USI Head Coach
Chris Ramirez while both were at Illinois-Springfield.
In OVC play in 2025. Graduate outfielder
Khi Holiday led USI in OVC action last year with a .406 batting average in 27 games. Senior infielder
Parker Martin was third on the squad with a .371 mark and second on the team with 25 RBIs.
