Springfield, Mo. — After a season that redefined the standard for the program, Mission University baseball comes into the 2026 campaign with elevated expectations. The Patriots are coming off a historic 38-win season, the most in MU/BBC history. The 2025 season was capped off by a second-place finish in the NCCAA World Series after an underdog run as the tournament's seventh seed.
Mission baseball returns to Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark, Missouri, where they will play their home games this season. The Patriots will compete in the American Midwest Conference (AMC), while maintaining their affiliation with the NCCAA Division I. Headlined by proven leadership, impact returners, and new talent, Mission is well-positioned to build off of last year's breakout season.
Program on the Rise
At the helm for the Patriots is head coach Randy Merryman, alongside assistant coach Aaron Kutilek. Merryman has led the program since the summer of 2021 and brought baseball back to Mission University after it had been without a team for more than a decade. In only a few seasons, what was once a rebuild quickly became a contending team, highlighted by last year's 38-22 overall record and a 25-11 mark in AMC play.
Mission, last year, finished third in the AMC standings and took third place in the AMC Tournament, showing consistency throughout strong conference competition. The success from last year has caught the eye of both national and conference officials, earning recognition and being ranked as second in the AMC preseason poll.
Stars Returning
Mission's returning roster is anchored in the middle by senior Trey Mulholland, one of the most versatile players in the conference. The right-handed utility player hit .329 with 30 extra-base hits while also controlling the mound with a 2.55 ERA, 66 strikeouts, and an 8-2 record over the span of 55 innings pitched. His performance last year earned him AMC Dual Position Player of the Year honors along with making the NCCAA All-Tournament Team. Mulholland enters this season as an AMC preseason All-Conference selection.
Graduate first baseman/DH Sam Golden also provides a consistently strong bat in the lineup. Last year, Golden hit .365 with a .462 on-base percentage, tallying 19 doubles, three home runs, and being named Second Team All-AMC and NCCAA All-Region. He joins Mulholland as the only other Patriot to make the AMC preseason All-Conference team.
Controlling the mound includes three pitchers that can shut out any game. Senior left-hander Jude Tenny returns to the mound after recording 56 innings with 60 strikeouts, bringing high upside as a starter. Veteran reliever Garrett Hunter is also back, now in his fourth year as a Patriot. Hunter is the Patriots closer, anchoring the bullpen, and striking out 44 hitters in 42 innings. Senior right-hander Ryan Congemo also adds valuable experience to the pitching room. With a 2.61 ERA and a .234 opponent batting average, he gives Mission a dependable arm to work with.
Behind the plate is junior Collin Miser. Last year, Miser hit .301 with a .421 OBP, providing an offensive spark and defensive mechanics.
New Faces, New Impact
Mission's roster is rounded out and strengthened by several key additions to the team. Graduate outfielder
Zachary Beatty, a transfer from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is strong at the plate with a
.295 hitting percentage and a .411 OBP.
Sophomore outfielder
Clay Palen, transferred from Evangel University, also provides an immediate threat for the offense. Palen produced a .
391 average, .468 OBP, and 20 extra base hits in 43 games played last season.
The Patriots also added arm talent to their rotation in sophomore
Braylon Essian, freshman
Brendyn Paulsen, and
senior outfielder
Kaedan Thomspon. All three add high upside and raw talent to the mix.
Replacing Key Losses
Mission's roster has a lot of upside but must replace significant production from years prior. The Patriots graduated numerous impact players, such as Landon Richards, who hit .414 with nine home runs; Josh Buxton, who had a 3.58 ERA and 73 innings under his belt; and Jackson Vestal, who logged 84.1 innings with seven wins. All three players received multiple honors at both the NAIA and NCCAA levels.
Mission also goes into the 2026 season without Brennan Montgomery, an All-AMC honoree; Dylan Blehm, also an All-AMC honoree; and Grant Merryman, a three-year starter and AMC Gold Glove winner. This will provide an early season test for the Patriots as they look to replace last year's key pieces.
Conference Expectations
After a postseason surge last year, Mission enters 2026 as one of the favorites within the AMC. The Patriots'
No. 2 preseason ranking reflects the lofty expectations for the program and a nod of respect to last year's run. Mission has a blend of veteran pitching, power at the plate, and improved depth, preparing them to compete at the highest level within the conference and a run at the national stage.
Opening Weekend
Mission opens its 2026 campaign on the road with a two-game, non-conference series against Huston–Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. First pitch is scheduled for Friday the 30th at 1 p.m., followed by game two on Saturday the 31st at 1 p.m.
