MILWAUKEE PANTHERS AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS Horizon League doubleheader Friday, May 8, 2026 (Interstat) — afternoon and evening Youngstown, Ohio (Interstat) — Eastwood Field

MILWAUKEE (18-29) at YOUNGSTOWN STATE (10-37) (Interstat) — Milwaukee visits Youngstown State for a Horizon League doubleheader Friday, with the first game set for the afternoon and the second in the evening.

The Panthers enter on a high note after a 12-6 win Wednesday at Illinois-Chicago. Dominic Kibler, the designated hitter, went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs in that victory, continuing a hot stretch. Over his last 10 games, Kibler is batting .333 (10-for-30) with two homers and 10 RBIs. He drove in two runs in a 6-4 win over Valparaiso on May 5 and hit a grand slam April 24 against Wright State.

Youngstown State, meanwhile, lost 15-5 to Eastern Michigan on Wednesday. First baseman Ryan Schummer provided the offense with a home run and three RBIs, but the Penguins have dropped nine of their last 11 games. Schummer has shown power (Interstat) — he also homered April 21 at Toledo (Interstat) — but is hitting just .162 (8-for-49) over his past 13 contests.

The teams met earlier this season in Milwaukee, with Youngstown State taking two of three games in a doubleheader April 3 (5-3 and 7-4) before the Panthers won 5-1 on April 4. The Penguins’ pitching staff held Milwaukee to 12 runs in those three games, but the Panthers’ offense has been more productive lately, averaging 6.3 runs over their last six.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-3 Milwaukee victory, and its ELO system gives the Panthers a 64.5 percent probability of winning.

Milwaukee will look to build momentum with a three-game series at Youngstown State this weekend, then host Oakland next week. Youngstown State also faces Wright State next week after the series with Milwaukee.

Notable: The weather forecast calls for temperatures around game time (Interstat) — no further details available.

On the mound for Milwaukee, Mason Weckler threw four scoreless innings with three strikeouts Wednesday, though he allowed one unearned run. Youngstown State’s Griffin Almond also pitched three solid innings in relief Wednesday, giving up one hit and one earned run while striking out two.

Both teams are near the bottom of the Horizon League standings, but the Panthers’ recent offensive surge (Interstat) — led by Kibler and first baseman John Hadley VI, who also homered Wednesday (Interstat) — could be enough to sweep the doubleheader.

After Friday’s twin bill, the series continues Saturday and Sunday before nonconference games midweek and league play resumes.

Next up: Milwaukee: at Youngstown State (Saturday, Sunday); at Northern Illinois (May 12). Youngstown State: vs. Milwaukee (Saturday, Sunday); at Wright State (May 14-16).