Drury Fall Report: "Win Early", Embracing a Fresh Start in Pursuit of Postseason Run

Heading into his 14th season at the helm, head coach Scott Nasby has established a standard of consistency at Drury, now boasting four straight winning seasons. The 2025 campaign was a testament to that resilience, finishing with 33 wins—the most for the program since 2017.

The road to those 33 wins was anything but linear. The season began with a challenging trip to Hawaii where the Panthers stumbled to a 1-3 start, followed by a tough series against Grand Valley State that saw them sitting at 3-7 early. 

However, the narrative shifted in March. The Panthers found their stride with a decisive four-game sweep of William Jewell, sparking a five-game winning streak that stabilized the ship. Later in the spring, they found another gear, rattling off wins against Northeastern State and closing the regular season with a sweep of Southwest Baptist. Despite a 2-2 exit in the GLVC Tournament, sandwiching a win over Lewis and eliminating UIndy between losses to UIndy and Illinois Springfield, the season proved this group could battle through adversity, finishing 30-16 after their rough 10-game stretch to begin the year.

Now, with a roster featuring 13 seniors, Nasby is preaching a "fresh start" mentality. The focus this fall has shifted heavily to the weight room as the Panthers look to change their postseason fortunes. As Nasby puts it, "If you want to play late, you gotta win early".

The Offense

Drury returns 56.9% of its offensive production, anchored by one of the most dangerous bats in the Midwest. Leading the charge is Third Team All-American and First Team All-Midwest Region selection Jackson Crider. The redshirt-sophomore third baseman was a force in 2025, hitting .434 in 189 at-bats with 11 home runs and 43 RBI. His production was elite across the board, ranking first in the GLVC in batting average and third in OPS (1.223).

Joining him is senior outfielder Luke Matschiner, who brings consistency and speed to the lineup. Matschiner in 200 at-bats hit .310 with 29 RBI and 9 doubles. He was a terror on the basepaths, swiping 24 bags, which ranked fifth in the conference. According to the coaching staff, Matschiner was a close second for the "best offensive fall performance" on the squad.

The senior leadership continues with Conner Bain and Landon Willbrand. Bain, a Second Team All-GLVC outfielder, hit .321 in 184 at-bats, adding 7 home runs and 40 RBI to the ledger. Meanwhile, Willbrand has shored up the middle infield, with reports noting he has "improved a lot defensively at shortstop". In 181 at-bats, he hit .276 with 6 home runs and 39 RBI.

A breakout candidate to watch is senior infielder Logan Reidelberger. After transferring from Western Illinois and logging limited action last spring (hitting .222 in 36 at-bats), Reidelberger turned heads this autumn, with the staff noting he "had the best fall on the squad".

Behind the dish, the Panthers add a high-ceiling talent in Xander Schmidt. The redshirt-freshman transfer from Kansas didn't see action for the Jayhawks but arrives with pedigree, having been ranked the No. 52 overall player and No. 7 catcher in Missouri’s 2024 class by Perfect Game.

The Pitching Staff

On the mound, the Panthers return 42.2% of their innings, led by Second Team All-GLVC right-hander Gage Hayes. The senior ace was a stabilizer for the rotation, going 7-1 with a 4.71 ERA in 78.1 innings pitched. His command was a standout trait, as he ranked second in the conference in wins and third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.38).

From the left side, Kade Biellier offers a reliable arm. The junior posted a 3-0 record with a 2.87 ERA across 15.2 innings, carrying a strikeout percentage of 22.4%. Another lefty to monitor is junior Klayton Kiser. Formerly an outfielder, Kiser is entering his first full season dedicated solely to pitching. He impressed during the fall, ramping his fastball up to 90 mph.

The staff gets a significant boost from the transfer portal. Junior right-hander Kaleb Thomas arrives from Missouri State with "plus stuff" and a fastball sitting 90-94 mph. He struck out 76 batters in 70 innings over two seasons with the Bears. He is joined by Coleman Morrison (Jefferson College), who fanned 100 batters in 77.2 innings at the JUCO level, and Trayce Mercer (Ohio Dominican), who posted a 3.13 ERA in 31.2 innings last spring.

Key Departures

The roster turnover includes some significant names, most notably left-hander Cody Bahl. Bahl leaves as the program's career innings leader (319.1) and second all-time in wins (27) and strikeouts (300). In his final campaign, he went 5-4 with a 6.15 ERA in 60 innings, highlighted by a school-record 14-strikeout performance in April.

The lineup loses the production of Second Team All-Region second baseman Wyatt Morgan, who hit .303 with 11 homers and led the conference in Strikeout Percentage, striking out just five percent of the time. The bullpen also graduates First Team All-GLVC arm Luc Fuller, who was dominant with a 1.16 ERA over 23.1 innings.

2026 Schedule & Outlook

The 2026 slate pulls no punches. Drury opens on the road against UAH (Alabama-Huntsville) in early February before facing a gauntlet of regional contenders. Key non-conference matchups include dates with 2025 World Series runner-up Central Missouri (Feb. 10 and Apr. 7), defending MIAA Tournament Champion Central Oklahoma on the road (Feb. 20-22), as well as hosting Indianapolis (Feb. 27), defending GLVC Tournament Champion Missouri S&T (Mar. 1), Grand Valley State (Mar 11), and Lewis (Mar. 13-15)—all of whom were regional postseason teams a year ago. That list doesn’t include a home series against Augustana (Mar. 6-8), who won 39 games last season and has won 35+ games in each year since 2013 (not counting 2020 shortened season).  It is a schedule designed to test whether the Panthers' weight room dedication translates to wins against the nation's best.

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