CLINTON, Miss. --- No. 21 MC baseball split a doubleheader with Indianapolis to open the 2026 campaign on Friday, Jan. 30 at Frierson Field inside Dickins-Scoper Stadium. The Choctaws (1-1) rallied to win the opener, 4-3, before dropping the night cap, 4-0.
 
Creek Robertson led the way at the dish in the opener, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored, including the game winner in the ninth inning. Tyler Sanderson added a team-best two RBI and Alex Johnson pushed Robertson across the dish with a walk-off, walk.
 
Johnson drew the two-out, game-winning walk, following a one-out single from Robertson and back-to-back hit batters to load the bases with two down in the bottom of the ninth.
 
After UIndy struck first in the game in the top of the third, Sanderson placed the Blue and Gold in the lead in the bottom half with his two-RBI, double down the right field line. Robertson followed with a solo home run in the fourth to place the Choctaws up 3-1.
 
The Greyhounds knotted the contest at 3-all in the top of the sixth with RBI walks from Brayton Bowen and Bret Perry, setting up the dramatic finale.
 
Caleb Peterson's solid pitching performance resulted in a WHIP of 1.20, while Coby Gollott (1-0) contributed effectively with four innings pitched in relief, allowing only two hits and striking out five, earning the win with a WHIP of 1.25. On the Indianapolis side, Drake Downing (0-1) took the loss, pitching two-thirds of an inning with two strikeouts and a run allowed on one hit.
 
Robertson, Bryce Speakman and Carter wells combined for the Choctaws three hits in the second game as the offense struggled against Gavin Smith (1-0) and the Greyhounds' defense. Smith tossed a complete-game shutout, adding two strikeouts and two walks to his ledger.
 
UIndy scored in the first on an Austin Pokley double, down the left field line and never looked back. They added three more runs in the fourth to put the contest on ice as the temperature began to plunge on the Choctaws' home field.
 
Connor Pittman (0-1) took the loss on the mound with four frames of work in his MC debut. He notched four strikeouts and allowed six hits along with all four Hounds' runs. Peyton Charles limited the visitors from the Hoosier State with three strikeouts in two and two-thirds effort out of the bullpen. Brady Ray dispatched of the only batter he faced in the contest to close out the pitching performance.
 
The two close out the four-game series on Sunday, Feb. 1 in a doubleheader. First pitch at 11 a.m.
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