Softball Travels to Sam Houston

Friday, April 10

Huntsville, Texas

6:00 p.m.

Missouri State University

Sam Houston

Softball Travels to Sam Houston

April 09, 2026 | Softball

Game Notes (PDF)

Missouri State Bears (17-20, 5-10 CUSA) at Sam Houston Bearkats (25-18, 9-6 CUSA)
Dates	April 10-12, 2026
Location & Site	Bearkat Softball Complex \| Huntsville, Texas
Game 1	Friday, April 10 \| 6:00 p.m. \| Live Stats
Game 2	Saturday, April 11 \| 3:00 p.m. \| Live Stats
Game 3	Sunday, April 12 \| 12:30 p.m. \| Live Stats
Missouri State	Bears Game Notes \| Softball Home Page \| Mo State Media Guide
Opponent	Sam Houston Softball Home Page
Follow Us	Twitter \| Instagram \| Facebook \| #WeAreMoState \| #Team58
Bears Mobile App	App Store (Apple Devices) \| Google Play Store (Android Devices)

The Starting Lineup

Missouri State hits the road for a three-game Conference USA series at Sam Houston (April 10-12). The Bears currently sit in 9th in the CUSA standings and Sam Houston sits in 4th.
The Bears are 3-5 all time against the Bearkats, which includes an 0-2 record in Huntsville. The last time the two teams met was in 2012 at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Classic with Mo State winning 7-2.
The Bears rank 32nd nationally and 1st in CUSA in double plays (17). Likewise, Mo State's .969 fielding percentage ranks 68th among all NCAA Division I programs.
The Missouri State pitching staff has racked up 7 shutouts this season, which ranks 24th nationally. The Bears' staff leads CUSA with 7 saves on the season and has given up the third-fewest homers (26) in the league. Paityn Engemann (Jr., Troy, Kan.) ranks 21st nationally with 3 saves.
Right-hander Emily Koranda (Fr., Marion, Iowa) continues to lead the way in the circle for the Bears this season. She ranks 2nd in CUSA and 85th nationally in ERA (2.40). The freshman hurler ranks 43rd nationally with 3 shutouts. Her 10 wins on the season are tied for 4th in CUSA and she is 6th in the league with 80 strikeouts. Koranda is a two-time CUSA Freshman of the Week this season.
1B Riley Baber (So, Overland Park, Kan.) is leading the way for Missouri State offensively this season with a .347 batting average and 12 doubles (T-2nd in CUSA, 50th nationally). She has reached base in 6 straight games, the longest active streak on the team, and owns 4 multi-RBI games this season.
Catcher Alexis Perales (Jr., Grapevine, Texas) ranks T-3rd in CUSA and 56th nationally in caught stealing by, throwing out 8 baserunners this season. She was a second-team All-MVC selection a year ago behind the plate.
The 2026 MoState roster includes 15 returners, six newcomers (four freshmen and two transfers) and features 12 underclassmen.
The Bears were picked to finish T-10th in the 2026 CUSA Softball Preseason Poll. Mo State currently sits in 9th in the standings and the top 8 teams make the CUSA Tournament.
Coach Kasey Griffith is in her second season at the helm of the Bears after going 20-33 overall and 16-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference in her head coaching debut. She is in her fourth season overall at Mo State and took over as head coach on June 5, 2024 upon the retirement of legendary coach Holly Hesse.