The 2026 college season will be here before you know it as the majority of our NCAA D2 squads will begin their seasons the last weekend of January.

In the past, we have looked ahead to the season with season previews, but this year we are changing it up a bit with a fall report that will also provide a look to the season ahead.

SSBR recently sent out questionnaires to each head coach of the small college (NCAA D2, NAIA, NCCAA) and JUCO schools in the state. We asked them to provide who their top returners, top newcomers, and top performers were in the fall. We’ve compiled that information into the fall report with an outlook for the upcoming 2026 season.

Today’s team: Eastern Oklahoma State Mountaineers

---

Level: NJCAA Division 1

Region: Region 2

2025 Overall Record: 31-27

2025 Region Record: 13-11 (T2)

Head Coach: Josh Merrill

Head Coaching Experience: 4 years (1st at EOSC)

---

Top Returning Players

• Joe Victery, OF: 2025 Stats: G 35, .265/.323/.513, 7 HR, 28 RBI
• Kade Matthew-Boudreaux, OF: 2025 Stats: G 39, .217/.405/.380, 2 HR, 13 RBI

---

Top Newcomers

• JM Long, INF (Panola JC): Middle of order LHH that is a smooth fielder; Will be big part in 2026
• Caleb Ray, INF/RHP (Westmoore HS): Will be starting 3B to start season
• Declan Murphy, RHP (Carl Albert HS): Weekend arm; Upper 80s-Low 90s with good stuff in the zone.

---

Top Performers in Fall

• Cole Edmondson, OF: LHH that was Mountaineers’ best hitter day in and day out in Fall
• Luke Altom, INF: RHH; “Swiss Army Knife” player; Can play 6 positions; Spark plug

---

Outlook

Quick, name the one collegiate baseball team from the state of Oklahoma that made it to their respective level’s World Series? If you guessed anyone other than Eastern Oklahoma State College, you’d be wrong. (Yes, Southwestern Christian played in the NCCAA World Series, but they play at the NAIA level.)

The Mountaineers were a good team last year that put it all together in the last few weeks of the season and made a run to Grand Junction.

Things will look different in Wilburton for 2026. Former head coach, Dru Sebastian left Eastern to be the head coach at Indian Hill CC in Iowa. The Mountaineers welcome in new head coach, Josh Merrill for the season. Merrill takes over after spending the last 3 years at North Area Iowa CC where his teams won 66 games and made the Region 11 Tournament twice.

The Mountaineers will also look different on the field in 2026. They return only a select number of players. According to Coach Merrill, this team is “really young.”

However, do not feel sorry for EOSC. Coach Merrill says that while they are young, they are talented. He is “excited foe this year. We have grown a lot from August to December (and) I think this team has a chance to be pretty special.”

---

Official Sooner State Baseball Report Merch

Like this content? Don’t miss any posts. Enter your email in the box below and have Sooner State Baseball Report content delivered right to your inbox.