LAWRENCE — Missouri State baseball lost to Arkansas 9-5 in the NCAA First Round of the Lawrence Regional on May 29, 2026. The game was played at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence, Kansas.

Missouri State entered the contest as the No. 3 seed in the regional with a 34-19 record, while Arkansas was the No. 2 seed at 39-20. The Bears opened strong, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Senior infielder Bryce Cermenelli hit a home run, and junior Caden Bogenpohl followed with an RBI single.

The Bears extended their advantage to 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Arkansas responded with one run in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 3-1. The Razorbacks then erupted for six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to claim a 7-3 lead.

Missouri State junior pitcher Max Knight worked four innings and allowed one run before departing. Arkansas added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning, increasing its lead to 8-3. The Bears fought back in the top of the eighth inning, scoring two runs to narrow the gap to 8-5.

Arkansas tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to push its lead to 9-5. Missouri State failed to score in the top of the ninth inning, ending its comeback attempt.

Missouri State will play Northeastern in an elimination game on Saturday, May 30, 2026. The game between Missouri State and Arkansas was televised on ESPNU with Victor Rojas on play-by-play and Connor Wanhanen as analyst.