Emporia State pitcher Colby Deaver has been named the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week for the second time in 2026. Deaver picked up the honor after a marathon 130-pitch outing as he led the Hornets to a quarterfinal victory over Missouri Southern in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament last week. The Hornets advanced to the semifinals with a 4-2 win over the Lions with Deaver striking out a career-high 16, matching the most by any Division II pitcher this season. Deaver wrapped the season ranked in the top five nationally in six different categories and was the nation’s leader in WHIP. The Hornets finished the year 37-16, the most wins for the Big Gold since 2017.
Deaver is National Pitcher of the Week for Second Time
