Matt Vines

COUSHATTA – Coming off another playoff appearance, the Red River baseball team opens the 2026 regular season Monday at Zwolle at 6 p.m.

The Bulldogs couldn’t replicate its historic 2024 season in which the program advanced to its quarterfinals, but Red River did make it back to the playoffs as a No. 23 seed and lost in the first round to Doyle.

Now championship caliber head coach Todd Moore will see what’s in store in his third season at the helm.
That 2024 team featured an experienced roster that sent four players to the collegiate level.

There are still remnants of that roster in 2026 with players like Kade Martinez, Elijah Murphy, Cameron Jones, Porter Williamson and Nolan Moore.

But Red River will need to develop pitching after losing Aston Hester and John Dickey IV on the mound.
Murphy did start the second game of the first-round playoff series, and he’ll surely be an arm on which Red River will rely this season.

After the opener against Zwolle, Red River turns around and hosts Florien on Tuesday in the home opener.

The schedule sprinkles in district games throughout as everybody is chasing reigning champion Lakeside. In 2025, Red River swept Mansfield in a two-game set but managed just one combined win against Winnfield, Many and Lakeside.

Red River finished the season 9-13.

Other notable non-district matchups include Minden (Feb. 23), Choudrant (March 2), Parkway (March 3), and North DeSoto (March 20).