INDIANAPOLIS - The Butler baseball team will travel to Martin, Tenn., to open the 2026 season against UT Martin this weekend. The four-game series will begin Friday, Feb. 13 with a doubleheader starting at noon before single games on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch for the weekend games is scheduled for 1 p.m. 
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
 
DATE: Friday, Feb. 13 - Sunday, Feb. 15
LOCATION: Martin, Tenn. 
LIVE STATS: Butlersports.com
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

• Butler posted a 15-39 record in 2025 with a 4-17 mark in conference action. BU was 5-10 at Bulldog Park and 10-29 on the road. 
• Butler returns 17 letterwinners from a year ago and welcomes 21 new faces to the squad for 2026. 
• Butler welcomed Ty Neal to the coaching staff this offseason as the program's pitching coach. Neal was an assistant coach at Michigan in 2025, helping the Wolverines post a 33-23 overall record. They went 16-14 in the Big Ten standings and held a 4.92 team ERA. Neal has made stops at Michigan, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Indiana, Miami Ohio, and Southern Illinois. He brings nearly 20 years of coaching experience to the program and has assisted in the recruiting and development of over 50 MLB draft picks.
• Freshman Grayson Bradberry was named the BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball and Perfect Game prior to the start of the season. Bradberry hails from Columbia City, Indiana and earned All-Conference honors (3x), Pre-Season All-State honors, team MVP (2x), NE8 Conference Player of the Year and was chosen as a two-time team captain. 
• In 2025, Butler saw Jack Moroknek get drafted in the 11th round by the Washington Nationals. Moroknek led the team in hits (81), batting average (.372), total bases (153), RBIs (57), home runs (18), runs scored (57), slugging percentage (.702) and OPS (1.145) while posting one of the best individual seasons in Butler history. Moroknek was the first Bulldog drafted since Ryan Pepiot was taken in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft. 
• David Ayers returns for Butler after seeing action in 49 games last season, 40 of which he earned the start in. Ayers slashed .235/.333/.431 while contributing six doubles, three triples, six home runs and 21 RBIs. He tallied 15 walks and eight hit-by-pitches while going a perfect 6-for-6 on stealing bases. 
• Tre Benjamin is the most seasoned returner on the mound for BU after tossing 32.0 innings a season ago. Benjamin posted an 0-1 record and a 10.13 ERA in 15 appearances while earning three starts. 
• Head Coach Blake Beemer enters his fourth season at the helm of the Bulldogs. Beemer helped coach back-to-back BIG EAST Freshman of the Year winners Joey Urban (2023) and Kade Lewis (2024) in his first two seasons with the Bulldogs. Beemer played a pivotal role in developing Jack Moroknek who earned All-BIG EAST second team honors a season ago before being selected by the Washington Nationals in the 2025 MLB Draft. 

 
SCOUTING UT MARTIN

• UT Martin held a 20-34 record in 2025 with a 11-14 mark in conference play. The Skyhawks were 11-12 at home and 8-19 away.
• The last time the Bulldogs and Skyhawks met was in 2012. UT Martin hosted the series and won 2-1.
• Cameron Greene returns for the Skyhawks after making 52 appearances a season ago, 49 of which were starts. Greene slashed .263/.391/.429 while adding nine doubles, one triple, five home runs and 26 RBIs. Greene led the Skyhawks in walks last season accumulating 32 while also going 6-for-9 on the base paths. 
• Jacob Sitton returns to UT Martin after making 15 appearances on the mound in 2025. Sitton made 15 starts and boasted a 3-3 record and a 5.03 ERA while tossing a team-high 77.0 innings. 
• Ryan Jenkins enters his ninth season at the helm of the Skyhawks and led UT Martin to a 20-34 record in 2025.  

 
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 17 as BU will travel to Champaign, Ill. to face off with Illinois. First pitch is slated for 4:30 ET / 3:30 CT. A link to live stats will be available on Butlersports.com.