On Feb. 16, 2026, the Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team began its spring season with a doubleheader against Cleary University in Westfield, Indiana, according to the university's athletics website.
The Cougars entered the season with a roster of 33 players, including 16 returners and 17 newcomers. The previous year, the team finished third in the Crossroads League with a conference record of 21–15 and an overall mark of 33–19. The program aimed to remain competitive within its league.
Several key players returned. Rider Minnick, a senior infielder from Sparta, Ohio, batted .351 the prior season with five home runs and 40 RBIs and was named to the All-Crossroads League First Team. Outfielder Brady Lester, a junior from Fredericktown, Ohio, also earned First Team honors after batting .326 with ten home runs and 55 RBIs. Lester scored 44 runs and stole 21 bases.
On the pitching staff, seniors Reese Willoughby and Jared Hurlburt led on the mound. Willoughby posted a 4–3 record with 52 strikeouts the previous season and delivered a shutout performance in fall ball against Ohio Christian. Hurlburt was named Crossroads League Newcomer of the Year after transferring from Carroll Community College; he finished his first MVNU season with a 5–4 record, a 2.78 earned run average, and averaged nearly nine strikeouts per nine innings.
Carter LaPata also returned as a senior outfielder who contributed twelve stolen bases the prior year. After opening against Cleary University in Indiana, MVNU traveled to Melbourne, Florida, for games before hosting Grace College at home on March 13.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University was described as a private, intentionally Christian teaching university serving traditional-age students, graduate students, and working adults. The university was affiliated with the East Central Educational Region of the Church of the Nazarene and was governed by a board of trustees elected by regional districts. It was a member of the Crossroads League and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The institution emphasized community service and global outreach through programs rooted in Wesleyan evangelical traditions. Facilities included R.R. Hodges Chapel Auditorium and the Center for Student Success. Dr. Carson Castleman began serving as president in 2023. The university focused on educating the whole person while fostering Christ-like qualities for lifelong learning and service.
