Nathan Mertens is the Redhawks’ command-first ace with nasty strike-throwing polish
In the 2026 season, Nathan Mertens continued to look like Southeast Missouri State’s pitchability weapon, going 4-0 in OVC play and finishing with 53 strikeouts against just 3 walks over 59.1 innings. He was named First Team All-OVC for the second straight year, and his defining trait is elite control: he led the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio and walks per nine, while opponents hit only .250 against him. He’s not a pure velocity headline, but the mix of precision, durability, and poise makes him a strong fit for teams that value winning innings and stress-free outs.
