The Basics
Game #7
Oral Roberts (4-2, 0-0) vs. Missouri State (2-4, 0-0)
Dates: Feb 25^th | 3:00 p.m.
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Chapman Park)
Watch: Summit League Network | Behind the Mic: Connor Clark | Live Stats: SidearmStats
 
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts baseball team returns home after a three-game road trip to take on the Missouri State Bears out of the Missouri Valley Conference.
 
The Golden Eagles took one of three games at Arizona State over the weekend, winning last Friday in dramatic fashion.  ORU scored three times in the top of the ninth inning to win their fourth game of the season.
 
Will Edmunson has been leading the charge offensively through six games, hitting .455 with one homer and three RBIs.  The Senior also boasts four multi-hit performances.  Makani Tanaka is not far behind with a .391 batting average, collecting a hit in each of the first six games.  The Honolulu native is tied for second on the team with seven RBIs, picking up five of them against Arizona State last weekend.
 
Right-handed freshman Brenden Asher will make his first collegiate start Tuesday afternoon.  He will be the fourth starting pitcher making their Oral Roberts debut in 2025.
 
Missouri State comes to Tulsa fresh off of a road series against No. 18 Mississippi State, in which they were swept.  The Bears played a competitive series, however, game one being a 3-1 final and game three ending 6-4. They currently hold a record of 2-4 after opening their season with a series win over Sam Houston State, all six games being on the road.
 
Pitching Matchup: 
RHP Brenden Asher (0-0, 0.00) vs. TBD
 
Inside the Series:
Missouri State leads the all-time series 25-12 and has won the last three. ORU is just 4-14 against the Bears at home averaging 3.89 runs per contest in the series.  The Bears took the last meeting 8-4 on May 14th, 2024 in Springfield, Mo.
 
Quick Hits: 

• Oral Roberts is 3-0 at Chapman Park in 2025
• Friday's series-opening victory over Arizona State marked the Golden Eagles' first come-from-behind win of the season
• Makani Tanaka has recorded at least one hit in every game this season
• Freshman RHP from Bartlesville, Okla., Brenden Asher, makes his ORU debut

 
Scouting the Opponent: 
Missouri State has been battle-tested early in its 2025 season, starting with a three-game series with Sam Houston State and, most recently, a weekend set with No. 18 Mississippi State.
The Bears were swept on the road against the Bulldogs but played them close in games one (L 3-1) and three (L 6-4).
 
The offense has struggled for Missouri St., batting .211 as a team, hitting three home runs, and driving in 30 runs.  Despite that, the Bears have only been outscored 37-30 through six games.  They're led by infielder Tyler Epstein, the only Bear with a plus .300 average (.308), with two doubles and a .900 OPS through five games. OF Caden Bogenpohl leads the Bears with one homer and five RBIs in 20 at-bats. 
 
On the bump, freshman righthander Michael Yusypchuk has led the way with a 1.54 ERA in 11.2 innings, the most on the team.  He's also only walked one batter to 14 strikeouts in two Friday starts. Out of the bullpen, RHP Jake Syverson leads the team with four outings and has a 9.82 ERA.  LHP Max Knight leads the relievers in innings at 4.2 in three appearances with a 9.82 ERA.  He struck out six of seven batters in his first outing of the season against Sam Houston State on February 16th.

For the latest information on ORU Baseball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.