Pittsburg State Fall Report: Building on Historic Success

The 2025 season was a landmark campaign for Pittsburg State, one that saw the program reach dizzying new heights while simultaneously bidding farewell to a legend. The Gorillas carved out the best season in program history, tallying a remarkable 42-12 overall record and a 27-9 mark in the MIAA. The year was defined by dominance, highlighted by a blistering 9-0 start and a 14-game winning streak that propelled the team to its first-ever Central Super Regional appearance.

Following the conclusion of this historic run, legendary Head Coach Bob Fornelli retired, passing the torch to first-year Head Coach Brock Buckingham. Buckingham now looks to maintain the standard of seven straight 30+ win seasons, and with a roster built on offense and defense, he is confident that if the staff throws strikes, the fans at Al Ortolani Field are in for a fun spring.

The Offense

The Gorillas return a dangerous offensive core that accounted for nearly 14% of the team's returning production, anchored by one of the most feared hitters in Division II. Leading the charge is senior designated hitter Dagen Brewer, whose 2025 campaign was nothing short of spectacular. Brewer earned D2 Baseball Second Team All-American honors and was the only unanimous First Team All-MIAA selection after he posted a .380 average in 187 ABs with 19 doubles, 24 home runs, and 78 RBI. His ability to drive the ball was elite, finishing with a massive 1.31 OPS and ranking 4th in the conference for home runs.

Joining him is senior infielder Andrew Branson, who had a solid fall and is expected to take on a larger role after hitting .273 in 66 ABs last season. Behind the plate, redshirt junior Cooper Harris returns as a team leader; despite being injured last year, the staff is expecting big things from him as he manages the game.

The lineup is bolstered by an influx of talented transfers ready to make an immediate impact. Senior outfielder Issac Webb joins from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, where he hit .314 over two seasons and led his conference in hitting in 2024; he is slated to patrol center field and set the table in the leadoff spot. Following him in the two-hole will be senior middle infielder Jadyn McNealy, a transfer from Campbell who previously hit .357 with a .493 OBP at Cowley College in 2024.

Power potential arrives with Landin Midgett, a transfer from Coffeyville Community College who hit .356 with 15 doubles and 38 RBI last season and will man first base. The middle infield depth is further strengthened by Cooper Wesslund, a transfer from D1 Omaha who drove in 51 runs at Hutchinson CC in 2024, and Jaron Cotton, a Nebraska transfer who smashed 10 home runs and swiped 22 bases at Barton County in 2024. Additional support comes from Grant Nottlemann, a catcher from Sam Houston with a .400 OBP last season, and Seth Dandridge, who hit .361 at Cowley CC.

The Pitching Staff

While the offense looks to reload, the pitching staff faces the task of replacing significant innings, returning about 14.6% of last year's production. The staff will look to Cooper Crouch, a senior right-hander and Team Captain who earned Honorable Mention All-MIAA honors. Crouch provided stability last season, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.95 ERA in 27.1 IP, while limiting walks to just 6.0%. He is joined by redshirt sophomore Elijah Seitz, who struck out 24 batters in 24.0 IP despite an 8.25 ERA, and redshirt junior Cason Long, a strike-thrower expected to see significant volume. Other returners looking to carve out roles include Porter Starnes and Bradley Neill, both coming off redshirt seasons.

Coach Buckingham has been aggressive in the transfer portal to rebuild the rotation. Junior right-hander Ricardo Hernandez arrives from Oral Roberts to fill various roles, while grad student Zack Voss transfers from McNeese State, where he logged 73.2 innings across 15 starts in 2024. A familiar face for Buckingham, Voss previously pitched for him at Cowley CC. The rotation will also feature Preston Giltner, a senior transfer from Central Oklahoma who went 6-2 with 48 strikeouts over 49.1 innings in his two seasons there.

The bullpen and depth roles will be bolstered by Brady Stuewe, a Kansas State transfer with a big arm, and Ty Blecha from Charleston Southern, who looked sharp in the fall. The staff is rounded out by junior college standouts like Bradyn McClure (Butler CC), who fanned 101 batters over the last two years, Ethan Froud (Pratt CC), and Jackson Murry (Crowder CC), who brings a dominant 14-3 career JUCO record.

Key Departures

The 2026 squad will have to overcome the loss of highly decorated veterans. The departure of Kolby Dougan leaves a void at the back end of games; Dougan was a D2 Baseball First Team All-American and the MIAA Co-Pitcher of the Year after posting a 2.76 ERA and 110 strikeouts. The rotation also loses Maddox Thornton, an ABCA Second Team All-Central Region selection who logged a 3.36 ERA over 99 innings. Offensively, the Gorillas say goodbye to Alex Rodgers, an ABCA First Team All-Central Region outfielder who hit .359 with 30 stolen bases, and Drew Bugner, a First Team All-MIAA utility player who hit .407. Other notable exits include Third Team All-MIAA selections Tanner Leslie and Rickey Sanchez, who both played pivotal roles in the team's historic run.

Schedule & Outlook

Pittsburg State opens the 2026 campaign on January 30th in Hot Springs, Arkansas, against three quality GAC and Central Region opponents in Southern Arkansas, Arkansas-Monticello, and Henderson State, the latter two being regional teams from last season (UAM the one that Pittsburg State beat last season). The non-conference slate continues in the Edmond First Pitch Classic from February 5-8, then a weekend set at home February 13-15 against a quality Maryville squad.

The MIAA schedule begins February 20th, where Pittsburg State will host Missouri Western. The Gorillas will face a massive test March 13-15 when they host Central Missouri, the defending MIAA Regular Season Champions and World Series Runner-Up who finished 48-14. Immediately following that series, they welcome Central Oklahoma March 20-22, the reigning MIAA Tournament Champions. Other key conference dates include road trips to Northwest Missouri and Washburn, both of whom were tournament teams a year ago. With a revamped pitching staff and an offense headlined by All-American talent, Pittsburg State is poised to prove their Super Regional appearance was not a one-off event, but the new standard. If you value this in-depth, non-paywalled coverage of D2 Baseball, please consider supporting our independent reporting efforts. Your contribution helps us continue providing free access to all our articles without relying on restrictive paywalls. To support our work, please visit our Patreon page: patreon.com/diviibaseball