BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
Miles opened the 2026 season with a doubleheader sweep of Philander Smith in the second annual Willie Mays Open on Friday afternoon at Johnson Field. The Golden Bears (2-0) won the first game 14-1 and the second game 14-2.
The offense used 20 walks, 17 hits, two hit-by-pitches and 15 stolen bases to light up the scoreboard over both contests.
Ajani Lyons (5-for-6, four RBI, three runs scored, two stolen bases),
Myles Wessels (3-for-4, four runs, five RBI, 4-of-4 stolen bases) and
BoBo Barnes (4-for-6, four runs scores) were the big hitters while
Kaden Burch and
Marquis Mitchell each had three RBI in the nightcap.
On the mound,
Kyle Cline (1-0) was nearly immaculate in his first career outing with the Golden Bears. He threw five no-hit innings in the opener, allowing just a two-out walk in the fifth inning while striking out six to earn the victory. In the second game, the group of
Darryl Johnson,
Jayson Wood and
Jaelyn Rhynes (1-0) allowed just two runs and four hits while striking out nine batters as the game was halted after five innings.
The Golden Bears will close out the Willie Mays Open on Monday when they face Stillman at historic Rickwood Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.