HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Angelo Franco drove in seven runs on Friday to lead No. 12 Missouri Baptist University baseball to a pair of wins over Indiana University Kokomo and No. 11 William Carey University. MBU improves to 6-1 overall with one more game to play in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday.

Indiana Kokomo Recap
The Spartans opened Friday with a dominant 10-3 win over Indiana University Kokomo behind a five-RBI performance from Mineral College Area transfer Angelo Franco and five strong innings from senior Tait Robertson.
 
Playing as the home team at a neutral site, MBU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Nick Beech and Max Shebestari reached base and scored on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from Franco.
 
Robertson worked around a two-out single in the third and was further backed by a solo home run from Carlos Hidalgo to lead off the bottom half. Beech and Shebestari each pushed in runs later in the inning to extend the lead to 5-0.
 
Corbin Napier tripled off Robertson in the top of the fourth to drive in a pair of runs and scored in the next at-bat on a groundout.
 
MBU pulled away once again in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk from Shebestari. Franco stepped in two batters later and hammered a grand slam to left-center to blow the lead open.
 
Keke Romero and Mason Arnold came out of the bullpen to put the finishing touches on the contest.
 
Robertson picked up his second win of the season on the rubber after five innings of work, three earned runs, and three strikeouts. Romero picked up a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless 1.1 innings, while Arnold retired both batters he faced in the seventh.
 
Winning Pitcher: Tait Robertson (2-0)
Losing Pitcher: K. Berry (0-1)
 
Batting Leaders
Angelo Franco: 1-for-2, Grand Slam, 5 RBI
Nick Beech: 1-for-1, RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, SB
Carlos Hidalgo: 1-for-2, RBI, R
 
No. 11 William Carey Recap
Jonny Marquez, Nick Beech, and Angelo Franco combined for seven RBI to lead MBU to a 9-6 rematch victory over No. 11 William Carey University in the night portion of Friday.
 
Jayden Orozco singled home the first run in the top of the first and later scored on a two-RBI double from Franco. WCU scratched one across in the bottom half of the first, later to be erased by Beech's two-run shot and Marquez's RBI single in the top of the third.
 
In the bottom of the third, William Carey tied the game on an RBI single from Jayden Mark and a grand slam from Taylor Walters.
 
The Spartans took the lead back in the fifth on a defensive miscue from the Crusaders' centerfielder and added insurance in the sixth on Marquez's two-run home run that scored Jayden Jones.
 
After earning his first save last night against William Carey, closer Zach Peters was called on again in the seventh. He surrendered a leadoff triple before striking out the side to complete the game with a 9-6 final.
 
Reigning Heart of America Athletic Conference Player of the Week Teague Robertson was roughed up in his second start of the year, allowing five earned over 2.1 innings. Jackson Wells made his 2026 debut with a trio of strikeouts and one earned run in 1.2 innings. Elliot Veisauyadra was the winning pitcher after a pair of scoreless frames and three strikeouts, followed by Peters' second save of the season.
 
Winning Pitcher: Elliot Veisauyadra (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: J. Hawsey (0-1)
Save: Zach Peters (2)
 
Batting Leaders
Jonny Marquez: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Nick Beech: 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Angelo Franco: 1-for-3, 2 RBI
 
Record:
No. 12 Missouri Baptist: 6-1
Indiana Kokomo: 0-6
No. 11 William Carey: 6-5
 
What's Next?
The Spartans wrap up the trip to Hattiesburg with one final contest against Indiana Kokomo on Saturday, Feb. 14. The first pitch is set for noon.
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