TIFTON, GA. - A new era officially began for CIU baseball as the Rams opened the 2026 campaign with their first games under new head coach Rocke Musgraves. The Rams faced (RV) Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College for the first time in program history and dropped both games of the opening doubleheader, falling 8-0 in the opener, before a late walk-off home run resulted in an 8–6 decision in game two. 

Game One: ABAC 8 CIU 0: David Mora opened up the season with a single up the middle, followed by a hit by pitch to Kai Smith. However, the Rams were left stranded, and the Stallions took a 2–0 lead in the bottom of the first frame. They extended their lead with five more in the third and tacked on another in the sixth to lead 8–0. Ian D'Amico reached first on a walk in the top of the seventh, but CIU was unable to get started offensively to battle back from the deficit. 

Mora and Eli Musgraves were the sole Rams to record a hit, with D'Amico and Cooper Dyer reaching via a walk. Manuel Geisel led the Rams with three strikeouts, and Julian Rivera and Will Shelton combined for no hits in the final two innings of the contest. 

Game Two: ABAC 8 CIU 6: The Rams rebounded quickly and scored two runs in the top of the second with a two-RBI double from Musgraves. The Stallions evened the score in the bottom of the third, but CIU added two more in the top of the fourth and fifth, highlighted by singles from Ethan Hynicka, Jennings Greene, and Aaron Guthrie to lead 6-2. ABAC came within one after a three-run sixth inning and took the lead in the bottom of the seventh with a walk-off homer. 

Hynicka and Corbin Wright led the Rams with two hits, and Musgraves led with two RBI. Greene and D'Amico each recorded a stolen base, and Michael Meilinger struck out eight in his first outing of the season.