Purchase Season Tickets | 2026 Schedule | CUSA Release
 
DALLAS – Missouri State's Caden Bogenpohl and Max Knight were named to the 2026 Preseason All-Conference USA team Thursday, and the baseball Bears are picked to finish sixth in their first year in the 12-team league according to a vote of CUSA coaches.
 
Bogenpohl is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign during which he tied the school single-season record with 55 walks and owned a .449 on-base percentage while reaching safely in 53 of 54 games. The Jackson, Mo., native carried an on-base streak that reached 50 games from his 2024 Freshman All-America season into 2025 and batted .296 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs last year.
 
Additionally, Bogenpohl received Preseason All-America honors from Perfect Game earlier this month and is that publication's preseason CUSA Player of the Year. Through two seasons at MoState, the center fielder already ranks 10^th in school history with 108 career walks and 17^th with 33 home runs.
 
Knight was a third-team NCBWA All-American last year as a utility player and occupies that position on this year's preseason all-CUSA squad. In 2025, the junior batted .275 with 13 home runs, 46 RBIs and a .551 slugging percentage, adding 10 stolen bases. The Bixby, Okla., native pitched in a team-high 24 games with two starts, going 5-2 with three saves, a 4.34 ERA, 58 strikeouts and .209 opponent average in 47.2 innings on the mound.
 
Knight was only player nationally last season with 45 innings pitched, 45 RBIs and 55 pitching strikeouts. He had a hit and a pitching appearance in the same game 15 times, including seven times with a home run.
 
In the team standings, DBU is slated to win the conference and earned nine first-place votes, followed by Louisiana Tech, Kennesaw State, Jacksonville State, Western Kentucky and the Bears. Liberty is predicted to finish seventh, with FIU, New Mexico State, Middle Tennessee, Delaware and Sam Houston rounding out the 12 teams. The top nine finishers in the standings qualify for the conference tournament, May 20-24 in Kennesaw, Ga.
 
Season tickets for the Bears' 27-game home schedule are on sale. Fans can purchase season tickets online at this link. For additional information, call Duane Miller at (417) 836-8899, the main MSU Athletics ticket office at (417) 836-7678, or visit the box office at Great Southern Bank Arena during normal hours.
 
The Bears open the season Feb. 13 with a three-game series at Louisiana, and the home schedule begins Feb. 24 against Oral Roberts.