The 2026 Missouri Valley Conference baseball championship will not begin as originally planned. A sudden bout of inclement weather has prompted organizers to shift the entire opening day schedule back by two hours.
Revised start times
Southern Illinois, seeded fourth, is now slated to meet fifth‑seeded Evansville at 1 p.m. Central Time, while third‑seeded Murray State will take on sixth‑seeded Illinois State at 5 p.m. CT.
Elimination game
The losers of those two contests will meet later in the evening at 9 p.m. CT in an elimination game that will determine which teams advance to the next round.
The postponement provides coaches with extra preparation time and allows stadium staff to ensure safe playing conditions. Fans who had arrived early will need to adjust their plans, but the later start also promises a more comfortable temperature for those watching live.
The adjustment underscores the conference’s flexibility in handling weather‑related disruptions, a factor that has become increasingly relevant as spring conditions grow more unpredictable.