INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Two MIAA student-athletes were named NCAA Division II Baseball's National Player and Pitcher of the Year in the 2026 season. Pittsburg State University's senior outfielder Dagen Brewer was crowned the NCAA Division II Player of the Year, and Emporia State University's sophomore right-handed pitcher Colby Deaver honored as the NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year.

Pittsburg State's Dagen Brewer was named a four-time First Team All-America selection for his outstanding senior season. The Topeka, Kan., native hit .442 in 197 at-bats, totaling 87 runs scored, 24 doubles, 25 home runs and a Division II single-season record 107 RBI in 56 games played. Brewer led the MIAA in the triple crown categories, led all of Division II in RBI (1.91 per game/107 total) and slugging percentage (.970). He also ranks third in the country in runs scored (87) and on base percentage (.573), and ranks seventh nationally in batting average (.442). Brewer, a 2025 NCAA Division II All-America selection, was crowned the 2026 MIAA Player of the Year and named a First Team All-America selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), D2 Baseball, the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA), and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA). Additionally, he was tabbed the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year by both the NCBWA and D2CCA.

Emporia State's Colby Deaver was also named a four-time First Team All-America selection for his stellar sophomore season. The Blue Springs, Mo., native ranked top five in the nation in six different pitching categories, ranking first in WHIP (0.82) and ERA (1.50) and second in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.50) and third in walks per nine inning (1.13). Deaver contended for the Division II triple crown, pitching to an 11-2 record with a division-leading ERA and WHIP, while adding a .191 batting average against and 9.5 strikeout-per-nine rate. The MIAA Pitcher of the Year only issued 12 walks in 96 innings pitched for a Division II-best 8.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 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 in the 2026 season, eight of which saw eight or more strikeouts, and six with no walks allowed. Deaver also tabbed First Team All-America honors and was named NCAA Division II National Pitcher of the Year by three separate organizations — D2 Baseball, D2CCA and NCBWA.