MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee continues its season-opening road trip in Durham, N.C., as the Panthers will play a four-game set against host Duke this weekend, featuring the team's lone scheduled doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
 
First pitch on Friday is set for 3:00 p.m. (CT). Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 12:00 p.m. (CT), and Sunday's contest is also scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. (CT) start.
 
All four games of this weekend's series will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra, which requires a cable subscription with an ESPN+ login to view. Live stats of the games also available. Links to the broadcast and live stats can be found on MKEPanthers.com. 
 
THE MATCHUPS & GAME LINKS
February 20-22 | Milwaukee at Duke | Jack Coombs Field | Durham, N.C.
Friday at 3:00 p.m. (CT) | Saturday Doubleheader at 12:00 p.m. (CT) | Sunday at 12:00 p.m. (CT) | ACCNX / Live Stats | Follow Along (on X)
 
LEADING OFF
» Milwaukee opened the season with the defending College World Series Champions LSU a week ago, and their schedule does not get any easier as the Panthers head to Durham, N.C. to take on Duke, who reached the Super Regionals a season ago.
» The Panthers are 0-3 on the year, while Duke enters play this weekend with a 4-1 mark, including a 10-5 win on Tuesday afternoon against Appalachian State. The Blue Devils fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning and outscored the Mountaineers 10-2 from the third inning on.
» Milwaukee was led offensively by Bradyn Horn and Charlie Marion in Baton Rouge, as the duo both hit .400 against Tiger pitching. Horn also hit his first collegiate home run in the series, while Marion connected on his first of the year after leading the Panthers with 12 a season ago.
» Matthew Mueller pitched the first three innings in the season opener followed by Mason Weckler's 2 2/3 innings in relief as Milwaukee threatened the defending champs with an early-season loss ahead 5-4 in the seventh inning.
» Aric Ehmke pitched game two of the series and allowed just one earned run over seven innings of work while striking out three.
» The Panthers had a bullpen game on Sunday, started by Riley Peterson, who struck out two Tigers over his first two innings of work.
» This will be the first time that Milwaukee will play against Duke. However, the Panthers have played five other ACC opponents in its history, with a 5-17 record. Milwaukee is 0-2 vs. Louisville, 0-4 vs. Miami, 3-10 vs. Notre Dame, 1-0 vs. Pitt, and 1-1 vs. Wake Forest.
» Among current members that comprise the Horizon League, Duke has only played Wright State and are 2-2 against the Raiders, last playing in the 2021 Knoxville Regional, and winning 15-6.
 
QUICK LOOK AT DUKE
The Blue Devils got off to a 3-1 start against Maine this weekend before doubling up Appalachian State on Tuesday afternoon by a 10-5 score. Duke has outscored its opponents by a 31-16 difference through its first five games.

Milwaukee's catchers will have their work cut out for them as Duke is fifth in the nation through the first weekend in stolen bases, having swiped 17 bags thus far on the season. The Blue Devil offense is very patient at the plate as well, drawing the eighth-most walks nationally with 33. Tyler Albright leads the team and is top-five nationally in walks with eight drawn already in 2026.

First year head coach Corey Muscara brings a strong pitching background to Durham after four seasons as the pitching coach at Wake Forest. In addition to his time at Wake Forest, Muscara coached at Maryland, St. John's, and Division II Southern New Hampshire. Muscara played at Division II power Franklin Pierce in New Hampshire.

Last season, Duke finished the season 41-21 with a 17-13 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which included a 30-10 record in home games. The Blue Devils have an 80-33 at Jack Coombs Field, dating back to the 2023 season.

DUKE – PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brooks Perez – 1B – .375 AVG, 1.393 OPS, 3 H, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, .750 SLG%, .643 OB%
Cider Canon – C – .375 AVG, 1.128 OPS, 6 H, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, .750 SLG%, 643 OB%
Coltin Quagliano – 3B – .313 AVG, .728 OPS, 5 H, .375 SLG%, .353 OB%
Adin Zorn – RF – .235 AVG, .647 OPS, 4 H 1 HR, 4 RBIs, .412 SLG%, .235 OB%

DUKE – PITCHERS TO WATCH
Ben Dean – RHP – 1-0, 5 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 9 K, .067 B/AVG
Jack Hedrick – RHP – 1-0, 4 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 5 K, .077 B/AVG
Aidan Weaver – RHP – 1-0, 5 IP, 3.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 4 K, .222 B/AVG
Matthew Nochowitz – RHP – 0-0, 4 IP, 6.75 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 5 K, .368 B/AVG

UP NEXT
After the four-game series with Duke this weekend, Milwaukee heads to Indiana to take on Evansville. The Panthers last visited the Aces in 2017 and have played all 12 of their meetings with Evansville in Indiana. MKE is 4-8 in 12 meetings against the Aces.

LAST MEETING
This weekend will be the first meetings between Milwaukee and Duke.

ON THESE DATES
February 20 – 3-3 Record; Streak: Won 1; Last Win: 12-2 vs. Alabama A&M (2022)
February 21 – 1-10 Record; Streak: Lost 4; Last Win: 5-4 vs. Omaha (2014)
February 22 – 0-8 Record; Streak: Lost 8; Last Win: N/A

ROTATION RECAP
After beginning last season as Milwaukee's closer with a save in the season opener, Matthew Mueller picked up where he left off late in 2025 in the Panther weekend rotation. He tossed three innings and struck out as many batters over his first outing of the season.

Senior right-hander Aric Ehmke was a strong candidate for Horizon League Pitcher of the Week to begin the season, after a seven-inning outing on Saturday vs. LSU. The righty's seven innings of work was his second-longest outing as a Panther, as he left the game trailing just 2-1 against the Tigers.

SOPHOMORE POWER
Against No. 1/2 LSU, sophomores Bradyn Horn and Cade Palkowski each hit home runs. For Horn it was the first of his career, while for Palkowski he matches his freshman-year total with one.

FRESHMEN FIRSTS
Two freshmen for Milwaukee had their first career hits for the Panthers during the opening weekend against No. 1/2 LSU. Ryan Lemm had a two-run single in game three of the series, while Max Glusick had a pair of singles off the bench in the series finale.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Before its first home game on March 20 against Wright State, Milwaukee will travel a total of 7,840 miles, beginning on Feb. 13 against LSU and continuing through its season-opening 20-game road stretch.

The Panthers will begin the year with its longest of the road trip, as Franklin Field to Alex Box Stadium is 997 miles. The team's second trip, to Duke covers 871 miles. The "closest" trip for the Panthers during the 20-game stretch will be on March 10, when Milwaukee visits Purdue.

FIRST-TIME FOES
Milwaukee will face two first-time opponents in 2026, opening the season against both. The Panthers will begin the year at LSU before traveling to North Carolina to take on Duke, marking the first-ever meetings with both the Tigers and the Blue Devils.

BACK IN THE BLACK & GOLD
Seventeen players are back with Milwaukee this season, including position players Connor Bozak, Tristan Ellis, John Hadley VI, Bradyn Horn, Camden Kuhnke, Charlie Marion, Cade Palkowski, and Tate Schmidt.

The returning pitchers include Tyler Andrews, Tristan Arnold, Aric Ehmke, Aiden Fishnick, Matthew Mueller, Riley Peterson, Gavin Theis, Alex Vander Loop, and Mason Weckler.

THROUGH THE PORTAL
The Panthers added 10 transfers for the 2026 season including position players Christian Holmes (UIC), Dominic Kibler (Kent State), Dylan O'Connell (Western Kentucky), Grant Ross (Illinois), and Joey Spence (Texas A&M Texarkana).

Pitchers joining the program include Justin Breitenstein (Southern Indiana), Tyler Hrin (Howard College), Sotaro Ishida (Cochise), Cullen Riel (Mineral Area), and Lucas Watson (Regis [Colo.]).

NEW TO THE CREW
Milwaukee welcomes seven true freshmen to the roster for the 2026 season, this year's incoming freshman class includes position players Max Glusick, Connor Harvie, Turner Kuhnke, Ryan Lemm, and Peter Visconti II, along with pitchers Riley Golden, and Braden Theis.

ALL-LEAGUE RETURNERS
Milwaukee returns two players that earned Horizon League honors last season Graduate student Gavin Theis was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and earned All-League First Team honors, while Tate Schmidt was selected to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team.

THE THEIS IS RIGHT
Gavin Theis was dominant for Milwaukee during Horizon League play in 2025. He recorded 53 strikeouts over 61 innings of work with a perfect 7-0 record. In Horizon League games started by Theis, the Panthers were 9-1 and 14-4 overall in games he started.

HOME RUNS IN A SEASON
Last season, Milwaukee hit 56 home runs, the third most in a season by a Panther squad since joining Division I in 1990-91. The program record is 77 home runs, set in 1999, while the second-most in a season was 74 in 2001.

HOME COOKING
Over the last 21 seasons (2005-25), Milwaukee has taken "home field advantage" to another level, posting winning home records in all but two seasons (8-14 in 2022; 0-0 in 2020).

The Panthers went unbeaten at home in 2013 (13-0), and have posted three straight 12-7 home records in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

IN EXTRA INNINGS
In 2025, Milwaukee was 1-3 in extra-inning games and holds a 17-19-1 record in extra-inning contests dating back to the 2015.

PRESEASON POLL
The Horizon League preseason poll projected the Panthers to finish second with 18 points. Wright State was tabbed as preseason favorite with 24 points and four first-place votes. Northern Kentucky, Youngstown State, and Oakland round out the five-team league.

ON THE HORIZON
Northern Illinois will join the Horizon League on July 1, 2026, and become a full-time baseball member beginning with the 2027 season.

The addition of NIU replaces Purdue Fort Wayne, which announced it was discontinuing baseball and softball following the conclusion of the 2025 season. The Horizon League will be at five full-time baseball members in 2026 before returning to six in 2027.