KOKOMO, Ind. - The IU Kokomo Baseball team opened the home slate of their 2025 schedule Saturday afternoon, splitting a series opening doubleheader with Shawnee State. The Cougars dropped game one 10-6 before bouncing back to take game two 11-7.

The rubber game is set for 1:00 PM Sunday afternoon at the beautiful Kokomo Municipal Stadium.

Game One: 10-6 Loss

• IU Kokomo got on the board first, as Jacob Medvescek singled in Alex Janke for an early 1-0 Cougar lead. 
• After Shawnee State scored a pair in the second, Janke recorded an RBI groundout, scoring Brayden Coffey to even the game 2-2.
• Each team pushed a run across in the fourth, as the game was 3-3 through four complete.
• The Bears scored each of the next three runs, leading 6-3 through four and a half.
• The Cougars answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, as both Coffey and Noah Wolf recorded RBI singles to cut the deficit to 6-5.
• Senior Jacob Medvescek hit a solo-shot in the home-half of the sixth, evening the score at 6-6 with three innings to play. 
• Shawnee State closed the game strong, scoring the final four runs to take game one of the series 10-6. After retaking the lead with two runs in the eighth, the Bears added a pair in the ninth.

Pitching Lines

• Brett Huiner got the ball in game one of the weekend, turning in a decent outing with four solid innings of three-run ball. Huiner's final line: 4 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.
• Sophomore RHP Koen Berry relieved Huiner and tossed three and a third, taking the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season. He allowed five runs (three earned), on a walk and two strikeouts.
• Nathan Stanley pitched an inning out of the pen, facing eight batters and surrendering two earned runs on a hit and two walks.
• Kaleb Shelton recorded the final two outs of the ninth, striking out a man.

Game Two: 11-7 Win

• Unlike game one, Shawnee State got on the board first with a run in the top of the first for an early lead.
• After surrendering that first run, Interim Head Coach Jeremy Honaker's squad scored the next eight runs. 
• IU Kokomo quickly evened things up, as Alex Janke singled, stole second, and scored on a Mason Janz RBI single in the bottom of the first.
• The Cougars added a pair of runs in both the second and third innings, before hanging a three-spot in the fourth. 
• Mike Talesky came through with an RBI single in the second before eventually scoring himself on a balk.
• Brayden Coffey recorded an RBI single in the third before his aggressive base-running forced an SSU throwing error, allowing Coffey to cross the plate and extend the lead to 5-1 through three complete.
• Janz pushed two more Cougar runs across the plate in the fourth on a double to right-center, scoring on a Gavin Smith RBI double to make it an 8-1 lead with three innings to play,
• The Bears of SSU scored three runs to trim the deficit to four through four and a half, but IUK's Payton Hankins and Mason Janz each recorded RBI singles in the home-half of the fifth to establish a six-run lead at 10-4.
• Shawnee State would score three more once again in the sixth to make it 10-7, as Asa Christie got the Cougars out of a jam.
• Hankins added another RBI single in the sixth, giving the Cougars an insurance run heading into the seventh.
• Despite walking a pair with two outs, Christie shut the door on Shawnee State, as IU Kokomo won game two 11-7 to even the series.

Pitching Lines:

• Mason Whiteley turned in arguably his best outing of the season Saturday, as he made the start and earned the win to improve to 1-1 on the season. Whiteley allowed four earned runs on eight hits and a pair of walks, getting key outs when he needed as he struck out five.
• Jack Bruington recorded the first two outs of the sixth, surrendering three earned runs on three hits and a walk.
• Asa Christie entered in the sixth and recorded the final four outs of the game, allowing no hits while walking two.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the IU Kokomo Cougars, fans can visit IUKCougars.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Cougar news by following @IUKAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.