The Eastern Michigan University baseball program began its 2026 NCAA Division I season on Friday, Feb. 13, with a road game against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Played at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock, Arkansas, the contest resulted in a 6-1 victory for the Trojans.
Eastern Michigan took an early lead in the top of the first inning. John Hale, an outfielder from Ashland City, Tennessee, who previously attended Motlow State C.C., reached base on a walk. Hale then stole second base to move into scoring position. Devan Zirwas, an infielder from Imperial, Pennsylvania, followed with a double into the right-center gap. This hit allowed Hale to score, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead. The double was the 21st of Zirwas’s career at Eastern Michigan and his first of the 2026 campaign.
Little Rock responded in the bottom of the first inning by scoring four runs. The scoring in that half-inning was highlighted by a bases-clearing triple that put the Trojans ahead 4-1. Following this sequence, Little Rock held Eastern Michigan scoreless for the duration of the nine-inning game.
John Carmichael, a right-handed pitcher from Destrehan, Louisiana, earned the starting assignment for the Eagles. In his Eastern Michigan debut, Carmichael pitched five innings and allowed eight hits. He was charged with four earned runs while recording four strikeouts and issuing one walk. At the start of the bottom of the sixth inning, Carmichael was relieved by senior right-hander Ethan Davis.
The score remained 4-1 until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Little Rock added two insurance runs. The Trojans hit a solo home run to left field to increase the lead to 5-1. Later in the inning, an RBI single up the middle brought the score to 6-1, which served as the final margin.
In the top of the eighth inning, Drew Jones, a utility player from Cleveland, Ohio, entered the game as a pinch-hitter. Jones recorded a single to the left-center gap on the first pitch of the at-bat. This was the 40th hit of his career and his first of the 2026 season.
The game marked the head coaching debut for Interim Head Coach Trevor Beerman. Furthermore, seven players made their first appearances for the Eastern Michigan program. In addition to Carmichael, the newcomers included:
- Leewood Molessa, an infielder from Pullman, West Virginia (UMBC).
- Nathan Borchardt, a catcher from Stanley, North Carolina (King).
- Tristan Crane, a utility player from Berkley, Michigan (Texas A&M C.C.).
- Kriss Sydlowski, an outfielder from Ann Arbor, Michigan (USC Sumpter).
- TJ Williams, an infielder from Racine, Wisconsin (Kansas).
- Cole Egan, a left-handed pitcher from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (George Mason).
According to historical records, this was the third meeting between Eastern Michigan and Little Rock. The programs first met for a two-game series in March 2010. On March 2, 2010, Little Rock won 15-4, and on March 3, 2010, Eastern Michigan won 7-6. Following Friday’s result, Eastern Michigan holds a 1-2 record against the Trojans, with all three games having been played in Little Rock. In those three games, Eastern Michigan has averaged four runs per contest.
The loss moves Eastern Michigan’s record to 0-1 for the 2026 season. The Eagles and Trojans are scheduled to play the second game of the series on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m local time and 3 p.m Eastern time. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
