ROLLA, MO -- Missouri S&T Baseball picked up their first win of the 2026 season on Monday, defeating Wayne State College 6-4 to open the doubleheader and following that up with another win in game two.
Game 1: Miners 6, Wildcats 4
After reaching on an error in the bottom of the first,
Drew Baugus (Kirkwood, MO/Kirkwood) came around to score when
Garrett Meyer (Jacksonville, IL/Jacksonville) roped a two-run double to right field, plating both Baugus and
Bricen Smith (Perry, GA/Mount de Sales Academy) to give S&T an early 2-0 advantage. The aggressive approach continued in the second, as Baugus worked a walk and later scored on
Will Beckham's (Mountain Home, AR/Mountain Home) RBI single through the left side to extend the lead to 3-0.
On the mound,
Andrew Hedgecorth (Smithville, MO/Smithville) kept Wayne State off balance through the first five innings. The right-hander scattered five hits across 5.2 innings, allowing just two runs while working out of traffic in the second and fourth. Hedgecorth induced a key double play in the second to erase a bases-loaded threat and maintained command to earn his first win of the season.
The Miners added a run in the third on a
Will Beckham (Mountain Home, AR/Mountain Home) single through the left side and created further separation in the fifth.
Jackson Evans (Overland Park, KS/Olathe North) sparked the fifth inning with a walk and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. After
Caleb Horsey (Springdale, AR/Springdale) reached and Alex DiGiacinto was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Baugus delivered again with a two-run single to left. Smith followed with an RBI single up the middle, and a double steal put additional pressure on the Wildcat defense as S&T built a 6-0 cushion.
Wayne State mounted a late push, scoring twice in the sixth and twice more in the seventh to trim the margin to 6-4. Reliever Drew Wipf entered in the sixth, recording three strikeouts and stranding the tying run on base to secure the save.
Game 2: Miners 9, Wildcats 3
The Miners answered an early deficit with poise. After Wayne State scratched across an unearned run in the top of the third,
Aiden Cizek (Wildwood, MO/Lafayette) ignited the response with a single and aggressive baserunning, scoring on a hit by Smith. A single to left by Meyer would score Smith later in the inning, giving the Miners a 2-1 lead.
Missouri S&T continued to apply pressure in the fourth.
Keaton Scott (Hannibal, MO/Hannibal) led off with a single and moved into scoring position before Cizek's sacrifice bunt advanced him to third. Baugus lined an RBI single to right to make it 3-1, and a sacrifice fly from Beckham stretched the margin to 4-1.
On the mound,
Logan Slinkard (Affton, MO/Lutheran South) delivered a steady outing in his first appearance as a Miner. The right-hander worked 5.2 innings, allowing just two runs—only one earned—while striking out six. He navigated traffic in the sixth before turning the game over to the bullpen.
Zander Street (Festus, MO/St. Pius X) and
Scott Thompson (Greeley, CO/University) combined to limit the Wildcats to one run over the final 3.1 innings, with Thompson stranding a runner at third in the ninth to close the door.
The Miners created further separation in the sixth. Scott and Cizek opened the frame with back-to-back singles, and Baugus added another base hit to load the bases. Smith drove in a run on a fielder's choice, and an errant pickoff attempt allowed another run to score as S&T pushed the lead to 6-2.
Wayne State trimmed the deficit to 6-3 in the eighth, but the Miners responded emphatically in the bottom half. Cizek singled and stole second before Baugus layed a perfect bunt down the left-field line. Beckham came through with a two-run single to extend the advantage, and S&T capitalized on a Wildcat error to plate a third run in the inning, sealing the 9-3 win.
Across Sunday's doubleheader sweep of Wayne State, the Miners' offense combined for 15 runs on 20 hits, showcasing depth throughout the lineup. Smith led the way with five hits over the two games, while Baugus collected four hits, four runs, and three RBIs. Cizek 3-for-3 in game two and scored three times in game two. Beckham totaled four RBIs on the day, bringing in three in the second game.
What's Next
The Miners travel to Missouri-St. Louis for a midweek on February 25th before heading to the Drury Invitational the following weekend for a trio of games.
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