ETTRICK, Va. – The Virginia State men's lacrosse team opened its 2026 season on Tuesday afternoon at Rogers Stadium, falling 18–2 to Barton College.

The Bulldogs battled early, but Barton jumped out to a 4–0 lead after the opening quarter and carried a 9–2 advantage into halftime. Virginia State found the back of the net twice in the second quarter, with Andre Bigham scoring on a man-up opportunity and Miles Jackson adding an unassisted goal late in the period to put the Bulldogs on the board.

Defensively, Virginia State goalkeepers Jace Wiggins and Arjun Warrier combined for 17 saves, with Wiggins recording 16 stops in nearly 48 minutes of action. 

Virginia State collected 10 ground balls, led by Wiggins and Moses McClendon, while McClendon also handled the majority of faceoff duties.