Friday, February 13
Nacogdoches, TX
2:00 P.M.
Stephen F. Austin
1-0
17
vs
2
Mississippi Valley State
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Mississippi Val.
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
2
10
2
Stephen F. Austin
11
1
0
5
0
0
17
12
0
Photo by: Elysa Ripley
Doubleheader Dominance for Jacks in Friday Sweep of Mississippi Valley
2/13/2026 9:45:00 PM | Baseball
SFA combines for 32 runs on 29 hits, arms fan 26 as Jacks jump out to 2-0 start for first time since ‘21
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Stephen F. Austin baseball enjoyed a dominant beginning to the 2026 season on Friday afternoon as the Jacks dismantled Mississippi Valley State to the tune of 32 runs on 29 hits to earn a pair of seven-inning, run-rule victories over the Delta Devils from Pilgrim's Park. SFA won 17-2 in the season opener and followed with a 15-3 decision in game two as five Lumberjack arms combined for 26 strikeouts and limited MVSU to five runs across 14.0 innings.
The Jacks tossed the ball to Cody Templeton (W, 1-0) in the opener, and the left-hander went 5.0 innings scattering six hits with no walks issued, while fanning eight to earn the victory. Templeton worked around a one-out double in the top of the first half but blitzed the inner half of the zone to strike out the next two batters.
Templeton received a weekend's worth of run support in the home half of the first as the Jacks struck for 11 runs on seven hits and four walks, while taking advantage of a fielding error that plated the final two runs of the frame. Highlighting the scoring output was a three-run double off the bat of Mark Henning that broke the game open at 4-0 and he added a fourth RBI in the inning with a bases loaded four-pitch walk.
Templeton stranded single runners in the second and third, worked a clean fourth with two punchouts and then capped his start with his eighth strikeout which ended a bases-loaded fifth.
The Delta Devils scratched single runs in the fifth and sixth innings of game one, but in the nightcap, MVSU opened with a 2-0 lead through a half inning of play and responded in the second with a single run after the Jacks plated three in their first trip to the dish in game two.
SFA regained the lead in the second as Jhett Creel singled into shallow centerfield to push across two runs for a 4-3 advantage. Two more crossed in the third for the Jacks as an RBI knock by Creel followed a run-scoring single up the middle by Cermodrick Bland.
A seven-run fifth put the contest out of reach as Ethan Pena cleared the bases with a three-run double to deep left field, while RBI hits from Josh Ibe, Trey Acreman and Rodric Black, who also scored on a wild pitch earlier in the frame, rounded out the productive inning.
Reid Bowyer earned the win in relief tossing 4.0 innings allowing four hits and one walk, while striking out eight, with two Ks in each frame he worked, of the 17 batters he faced.
POSTGAME NOTES
The Jacks and Delta Devils return to Pilgrim's Park on Saturday at 11 a.m.; two hours up from the previously scheduled 1 p.m. start due to forecasted rain scheduled to begin in the middle of the day. Live coverage links will be available at www.SFAjacks.com.
LIVE COVERAGE
Watch: ESPN+
PxP: Alex Del Barrio; Color: Stuart Paul
Stats: Game 3 | Game 4
SECURE YOUR SEATS TODAY
Single game tickets for all SFA baseball home games are available now. Fans interested in purchasing season ticket packages can secure their seats here. Don't miss out on all the exciting action from Pilgrim's Park this season!
THE 'JACKS HAVE GONE MOBILE
SFA Athletics' newest mobile phone application is designed to bring Lumberjack fans closer to the action than ever before. Available now on both the App Store and Google Play, the new SFA Athletics app delivers schedules, scores, rosters, news, ticket access, and exclusive content right to your phone. Fans can also receive push notifications, so they never miss a moment of the action. Download now: Official SFA Athletics App.
FOLLOW THE JACKS
For all the latest information on SFA baseball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Jacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
The Jacks tossed the ball to Cody Templeton (W, 1-0) in the opener, and the left-hander went 5.0 innings scattering six hits with no walks issued, while fanning eight to earn the victory. Templeton worked around a one-out double in the top of the first half but blitzed the inner half of the zone to strike out the next two batters.
Templeton received a weekend's worth of run support in the home half of the first as the Jacks struck for 11 runs on seven hits and four walks, while taking advantage of a fielding error that plated the final two runs of the frame. Highlighting the scoring output was a three-run double off the bat of Mark Henning that broke the game open at 4-0 and he added a fourth RBI in the inning with a bases loaded four-pitch walk.
Templeton stranded single runners in the second and third, worked a clean fourth with two punchouts and then capped his start with his eighth strikeout which ended a bases-loaded fifth.
The Delta Devils scratched single runs in the fifth and sixth innings of game one, but in the nightcap, MVSU opened with a 2-0 lead through a half inning of play and responded in the second with a single run after the Jacks plated three in their first trip to the dish in game two.
SFA regained the lead in the second as Jhett Creel singled into shallow centerfield to push across two runs for a 4-3 advantage. Two more crossed in the third for the Jacks as an RBI knock by Creel followed a run-scoring single up the middle by Cermodrick Bland.
A seven-run fifth put the contest out of reach as Ethan Pena cleared the bases with a three-run double to deep left field, while RBI hits from Josh Ibe, Trey Acreman and Rodric Black, who also scored on a wild pitch earlier in the frame, rounded out the productive inning.
Reid Bowyer earned the win in relief tossing 4.0 innings allowing four hits and one walk, while striking out eight, with two Ks in each frame he worked, of the 17 batters he faced.
POSTGAME NOTES
- The Jacks won in a season opener for the first time since the 2022 season and are 2-0 to start a campaign for the first time since 2021
- SFA's 17 runs in the opener are the second-most by the Jacks under Vanderburg and the run output over the doubleheader marked the 11th and 12th games with 10+ runs in his tenure
- Templeton won for the seventh time as a Lumberjack
- Creel, Bland and Julian Swift all enjoyed four-hit days with Black and Coby DeJesus each recording three
- Swift led with five runs scored as nine Jacks crossed multiple times in the victories
- Creel led with five RBI with Pena and Henning following with four each
- Bowyer and Templeton accounted for 16 of the staff's 26 strikeouts
- SFA allowed just three extra-base hits and issued only four free passes with two HBP
- Hayden Tronson started game two and went 2.0 innings allowing three runs on four hits, while Brennan Greer worked the seventh facing one over the minimum with three punchouts. Charlie Feris pitched the final two frames of Templeton's start dispersing four hits and a run with four strikeouts.
The Jacks and Delta Devils return to Pilgrim's Park on Saturday at 11 a.m.; two hours up from the previously scheduled 1 p.m. start due to forecasted rain scheduled to begin in the middle of the day. Live coverage links will be available at www.SFAjacks.com.
LIVE COVERAGE
Watch: ESPN+
PxP: Alex Del Barrio; Color: Stuart Paul
Stats: Game 3 | Game 4
SECURE YOUR SEATS TODAY
Single game tickets for all SFA baseball home games are available now. Fans interested in purchasing season ticket packages can secure their seats here. Don't miss out on all the exciting action from Pilgrim's Park this season!
THE 'JACKS HAVE GONE MOBILE
SFA Athletics' newest mobile phone application is designed to bring Lumberjack fans closer to the action than ever before. Available now on both the App Store and Google Play, the new SFA Athletics app delivers schedules, scores, rosters, news, ticket access, and exclusive content right to your phone. Fans can also receive push notifications, so they never miss a moment of the action. Download now: Official SFA Athletics App.
FOLLOW THE JACKS
For all the latest information on SFA baseball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Jacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
#LogByLog
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Templeton, Cody (1-0)
L: Torrero, Eric (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Leming, Cody 1 ; Williams, Eric 1
RBI: Williams, Eric 1 ; Soeder, Christopher 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Escobalez Jr., Johnny 1 ; Huelsing, Gabriel 1
CS: Landaz, Stephen 1
HBP: Aoki, Tanner 1 ; Huelsing, Gabriel 1
Batting:
2B: Henning, Mark 1 ; Swift, Julian 1 ; DeJesus, Coby 1 ; Creel, Jhett 1
RBI: Bland, Cermodrick 1 ; Schneider, Cooper 1 ; Henning, Mark 4 ; Adkisson, Ethan 1 ; Swift, Julian 3 ; DeJesus, Coby 2 ; Creel, Jhett 2
SF: Creel, Jhett 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bland, Cermodrick 1 ; Schneider, Cooper 3 ; Henning, Mark 2 ; Adkisson, Ethan 1 ; Acreman, Trey 2 ; Ibe, Josh 2 ; Swift, Julian 3 ; DeJesus, Coby 1 ; Creel, Jhett 2
SB: Bland, Cermodrick 1 ; Schneider, Cooper 4 ; Acreman, Trey 1
HBP: Schneider, Cooper 1 ; Henning, Mark 1 ; Acreman, Trey 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
rf/lf
AB
2
R
3
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
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LHP
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RHP
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