Drury Panthers (0-0) at UAH Chargers (1-2)
Opponent	University of Alabama at Huntsville
Location  | Site	Huntsville, Ala. | Charger Park (500)
Game 1 | First Pitch	Friday, Feb. 6 | 12 p.m.
Game 2 | First Pitch	Friday, Feb. 6 | 3 p.m.
Game 3 | First Pitch	Saturday, Feb. 7 | 11 a.m.
Game Links	Drury Game Notes | UAH Preview | Live Stats | Watch ($)
Follow	X: @DruryBaseball | IG: @DruryBSBL

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury baseball opens its 2026 season this weekend with a three-game road series against UAH, beginning with a Noon doubleheader Friday (Feb. 6) at Charger Park in Huntsville, Ala. The Panthers and Chargers will square off in a nine-inning contest to open the twin bill, before closing out Friday's action with a seven-inning affair. The two clubs will then square off in another nine-inning game Saturday at 11 a.m., to wrap up the series.

LEADING OFF:

• Drury will celebrate its 20th season of varsity competition since the program's reinstatement in 2007.
• The Panthers bring an overall program record of 543-410-1 into the new season.
• DU is led by 14th-year head coach Scott Nasby, who has compiled an overall mark of 367-276-1 as the Panthers' all-time winningest coach.
• In season openers, Drury has gone 8-11, including a 5-8 mark under Nasby.
• Preseason First-Team All-America INF Jackson Crider returns to lead the Drury offense after hitting a Great Lakes Valley Conference-best .434 last spring as a redshirt freshman.
• Crider will be joined in the DU lineup by senior OF Connor Bain, who batted .321 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs to earn All-GLVC recognition for the second-straight year.
• On the mound, DU welcomes back junior LHP Kade Biellier, who turned in a 2.87 ERA to go along with a 3-0 mark in 14 relief appearances, as well as senior RHP Markell Dixon, who struck out 50 hitters over 64.2 innings spanning 13 appearances (12 starts).
• Fans may follow the action live on FloCollege or listen via UAH's online broadcast, Charger Zone courtesy of  97.7 ESPN The Zone.
• Admission to all three games at Charger Park is free.

SERIES HISTORY

• Drury is 1-2 all-time vs. UAH entering the series.
• The Panthers and Chargers previously met in Huntsville to open the 2009 season, with UAH sweeping an Opening Day twin bill (Feb. 7), before DU claimed the finale with an 11-6 win the following day.
• DU has dropped its last two Opening Day contests, with the Panthers' last win in a debut game coming on Feb. 11, 2023 at Christian Brothers (11-6).

PANTHERS IN THE PRESEASON POLLS

• Drury begins the 2026 season as the No. 8 team in the Midwest Region in the NCBWA's preseason polling.
• The Panthers were also tabbed for the No. 4 spot in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Drury received 160 points in the poll, including two first-place votes, finishing behind preseason favorite Indianapolis (181), as well as Illinois Springfield (170) and Maryville (169); rounding out the top 10 was Lewis, Quincy, Missouri S&T, UMSL, Upper Iowa, Upper Iowa and McKendree.

CRIDER LOOKS FOR ENCORE

• Drury infielder Jackson Crider started the 2026 season right where he left off last spring: recognized as one of NCAA Division II's finest players with his selection as a Preseason First-Team All-American by D2Baseball.
• Crider was the lone GLVC standout selected for first-team honors by D2Baseball following one of the top offensive seasons in Drury history last year.
• The San Antonio, Texas, native earned Third-Team All-America recognition from D2 Baseball last year as one of 30 NCAA Division II players recognized by the organization's voting panel.
• Crider led the GLVC in hitting (.434), on-base percentage (.548) and hit by pitches (29) as part of a banner rookie campaign in which he started 54 games for the Panthers. 
• Crider's batting average sits at No. 2 on the Panthers' all-time single-season list and he finished the season rated among the conference's best in hits (82) and slugging percentage (.672), both of which ranked third on Drury's single-season charts. 
• He clubbed 11 home runs, matching the fifth-best total in program history, while driving in 43 runs and stealing six bases. 
• Crider earned All-American Honorable Mention from the NCAA D-II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA), as well as First-Team All-Midwest Region recognition from the NCBWA and the D2CCA; he was also a unanimous First-Team All-GLVC selection and GLVC All-Tournament team honoree.

OFF AND RUNNING

• The Panthers' offense figures to rely once again on a strong running game, after DU swiped 89 bases as a team to rank fifth in the GLVC last spring.
• Returning DU regulars accounted for 71 of those stolen bases last season, led by Luke Matschiner's team-best 24 steals, which ranked as the fifth-highest total among all conference players.
• Additionally, Connor Bain and Landon Willbrand each swiped 14 bases in 2025, while Paul Pratte was a perfect 9-for-9 in steal attempts as a freshman.
• Bain enters his senior season eighth on the Panthers' career stolen bases list with 44 steals, while Matschiner is tied for 12th on the DU career chart with 32.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Panthers return to Mark Worley Field at Meador Park Tuesday (Feb. 10) for the first time in 2026 to open their home slate against No. 2 Central Missouri for a 3 p.m. non-conference contest. Fans may purchase 2026 season tickets or single-game seats through DruryPanthers.com.

For all the latest information on Drury men's basketball, visit DruryPanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Panthers on X and Instagram.

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