Baseball Sweeps West Georgia in Season-Opening Series

Central Michigan University's baseball team wins three of four games against West Georgia to start the season

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Central Michigan University's baseball team won three of four games against West Georgia to open the 2026 season. In the first game, the Chippewas' bats came alive, hitting three home runs and scoring 15 runs. In the second game, freshman pitcher Luke Neiswonger had an outstanding debut, allowing just one hit over five innings as CMU won 6-1. The Chippewas' bullpen also came up big, pitching out of several jams to preserve the victory.

Why it matters

This series win to open the season gives the Chippewas momentum heading into their next matchup against Belmont. The team's ability to win in different ways - with both their bats and their pitching - demonstrates their depth and versatility, which will be important as they look to build on this strong start to the year.

The details

In the first game, CMU hit three home runs, including a grand slam by Cole Prout, and scored 15 runs to win 15-6. Freshman Luke Neiswonger was impressive in his first career start in the second game, allowing just one hit over five innings as the Chippewas won 6-1. The CMU bullpen also stepped up, with Tyson Potts, Jake Brown, and Liam Stumpf combining to strike out eight batters and work out of several jams.

  • The series was played on February 14-15, 2026.
  • CMU won the first game on February 14 and swept the doubleheader on February 15 to take the series 3-1.

The players

Cole Prout

A CMU player who hit a grand slam in the second game of the series.

Luke Neiswonger

A CMU freshman pitcher who made his debut and allowed just one hit over five innings in the second game.

Tyson Potts

A CMU relief pitcher who worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning of the second game.

Jake Brown

A CMU relief pitcher who worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning of the second game.

Liam Stumpf

A CMU relief pitcher who pitched the ninth inning of the second game.

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What they’re saying

“It gives us a lot of momentum and kind of shows these guys what they're capable of doing.”

— Jake Sabol, CMU Coach (cmuchippewas.com)

“We did a lot of really good things across the board. It was very encouraging. I wanted to come out of this weekend having played good baseball, regardless of the wins and losses. To be able to snag three (wins), take the series … we checked off a lot of those boxes.”

— Jake Sabol, CMU Coach (cmuchippewas.com)

“It was just fun to watch him compete. Once he got through that first inning, we got that big double play there, he settled in.”

— Jake Sabol, CMU Coach (cmuchippewas.com)

What’s next

The Chippewas will travel to Belmont in Nashville next weekend to continue their season.

The takeaway

Central Michigan's baseball team demonstrated its offensive firepower and pitching depth in sweeping West Georgia to open the season, giving the team momentum and confidence heading into their next series against Belmont.