COLUMBIA, Ky. - The Lindsey Wilson baseball team opens the 2026 season hosting Indiana Columbus for a two-game series Saturday-Sunday at Russell County High School in Russell Springs, Kentucky.

The series was originally scheduled to be played at Egnew Park, but due to weather and field concerns, it was moved to Russell County High School. Lindsey Wilson and Indiana Columbus open the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. The series finale is scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m. CT.

Coming off a 9-39 season last year, head coach Ethan Utley is optimistic about this season. "As a team, we learned a lot about ourselves," Utley said. " The goal is to compete for the Mid-South Conference Championship and to earn a berth in the NAIA National Tournament."  

The Blue Raiders will have to replace Matt Schultz (.362 AVG, 1.005 OPS, 54 hits), as well as Chance Stayton (.325 AVG, .939 OPS, 52 hits). Schultz earned First Team All-MSC honors in 2025. "Schultz and Stayton were key pieces over the past couple of years that will be hard to replace," Utley added.  On the mound, the Blue Raiders have to replace both Glenn Simes and Mason Malone, "Simes and Malone were both  reliable strike throwers that ate up a lot of innings for us."

One key returner for Lindsey Wilson this season is Caden Davis. "He played really well this fall, and I expect a good year out of him," Utley said. The Blue Raiders also bring back Jackson Steele (.833 OPS and 24 RBI) and Andres Duran (.857 OPS, 37 Hits, 34 RBI), two big bats in the middle of the lineup. Sophomore Drake Young (.277 AVG, .777 OPS, 35 Hits) is also expected to take a major step forward after a productive freshman campaign. 


The focus for the Blue Raiders in the practices leading up to the season has been about embracing change and getting everybody up to speed. Lindsey Wilson's approach this year is about playing fast, being offensive, and confident.

Live stats are available for both games of the series. 

Lindsey Wilson and Indiana Columbus open the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT at Russell County High School.