Baseball | 5/20/2026 2:09:00 PM

May 20, 2026 - Colby Deaver was named the National Pitcher of the Year while also being selected as a First Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) on Wednesday, becoming the first Hornet since 2018 to receive NCBWA All-American honors.

Colby Deaver was named the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-American. The sophomore from Blue Springs, Mo. was also the Central Region and MIAA Pitcher of the Year. Deaver ranks top eight in the nation in seven different pitching categories, including first in ERA (1.50) and WHIP (0.82), second in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.50), third in wins (11), and fourth in walks per nine innings (1.13). In his last outing of the season, Deaver struck out 16 in a complete game performance against Missouri Southern in the MIAA Tournament. His 16 strikeouts set a career-high and also matched the most in a single-game in Division II this season. He posted ten quality starts, eight outings with eight or more strikeouts and six with no walks allowed. Deaver's 102 strikeouts and 1.50 ERA in the 2026 season are both ninth-best marks in a single season in program history. 

Deaver's first team selection marks the first time since 2018 (Bryce Fischer, Seth Holman) that a Hornet Baseball player was named an NCBWA All-American.