MILLIGAN, Tenn. – The Milligan University Baseball team enters their seventh season under the direction of head coach
Skyler Barnett, looking to return to the NAIA Opening Round with a replenished group in 2026.
The Buffs open their season with a four-game non-conference series at Talladega College (Ala.) on Jan. 29-30, which was moved up one day due to uncertainty with the upcoming weather forecast.
2025 Season Review: The Buffaloes rattled off a 32-22 record in 2025, which came up just shy of their 35-22 output on the way to their first ever trip to the national tourney in 2024. The Buffs finished fourth in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) standings during the regular season, racking up a 19-11 conference record and six AAC series wins. Milligan qualified for the AAC Tournament and won its first game against Bluefield (Va.), before matching up with top-10 ranked Reinhardt (Ga.) three consecutive times. They won the first of those three by a final of 5-3, but fell in the final two by a combined three runs.
The Buffs sported wins against national competition in Tennessee Wesleyan and Reinhardt, who were each ranked inside the top 10 at multiple points during the 2025 campaign. They took two games from Reinhardt on the year, including the AAC Tournament triumph, while knocking off the Bulldogs once in a 17-15 barnburner on the road.
"Last year was a very competitive season for us," Barnett said, "however we fell short of our goal of making it into the national tournament. We learned a lot from some guys last year that will play big roles for this upcoming season. We are forever indebted to the seniors from last year's team and our are sights are set to keep moving forward in the direction we need to reach our goals."
The Buffaloes ended the campaign with a strong 5.05 earned run average as a pitching staff, which was second-best in the AAC, behind just the stingy staff of Reinhardt.
Four members of the squad were selected to All-AAC Teams, as
Cade Kalehuawehe (First Team, C),
Braxton Baird (First Team, DH),
Tank Hansen (Second Team, 1B) and
Angel Lobo (Second Team, CF) earned the plaudits.
Additionally, three were honored with CSC Academic All-District honors, including
Jacob Bishop,
Spencer Rife and
Nick Iezzi.
2026 AAC Preseason Poll: The AAC sent a pair of teams to the NAIA Championship Opening Round last spring, with Tennessee Wesleyan and Reinhardt snagging automatic berths. Milligan has been selected to finish fourth in the 2026 AAC Preseason Poll.
Team - Total Points (1st-Place Votes)
1. Tennessee Wesleyan - 131 (10)
2. Reinhardt - 118 (1)
3. Johnson - 115 (1)
4. Milligan - 104
5. Bryan 88
6. Pikeville - 76
7. Montreat - 73
8. Columbia International - 57
9. Bluefield - 55
10. Spartanburg Methodist - 50
11. Truett McConnell - 28
12. Union Commonwealth - 27
Key Returners: Milligan brings back six hitters who tallied 100 or more at-bats in 2025, including their top two bats.
Milligan shortstop
Braxton Baird enters his senior season coming off a superb .444 season at the plate, notching a hit in 67 of his 151 at-bats on the year. He had a team-best 15 doubles and parked three round-trippers on his way to a .616 slugging percentage to lead the team. He was an All-AAC First Team performer in 2025.
"Braxton makes an immediate impact on our team every time he steps on the field," stated Barnett. "I'm looking forward to watching him play this year."
Behind the dish,
Cade Kalehuawehe brings stability and major offensive production to the squad. He hit .364 in 2025, while totaling 20 extra-base hits, including 14 doubles and six homers. He produced the most runs on the team by driving in 36. He also displayed a patient approach, working a team-high 30 walks while at-bat.
"Cade's growth as a player and as a leader has been fun to watch," Barnett marveled. "Cade is an Incredible baseball player and an incredible competitor."
Gaven Jones will be spending his grad year of eligibility, after redshirting in 2023, for one last run with the Buffs. The man who filled the hot corner last season for the squad hit .265 with four homers and 28 RBI.
Josh Lail was a platoon player at first base for the Buffaloes in 2025, mashing right-handed pitching to a .274 batting average with three homers and 15 RBI across 106 at-bats. He is also returning for a grad year after a redshirt season in 2024.
Nick Iezzi, a transfer in from Cleveland State CC prior to the 2025 season, was the primary right fielder for Milligan last campaign. He ended up with the second-most RBI on the roster, driving home 35 runs on the year. He whacked 13 doubles and four home runs.
The Buffs also welcome back
Brody Melton, who had a strong year in limited action in 2025. He played in 38 games, starting 28 of them as a designated hitter and left fielder, primarily. In 113 at-bats, he hit .274 with nine two-baggers and four trips around the sacks. He also drove in 28 runs, which was a number that just five players on the roster eclipsed.
The pitching staff will continue to be anchored by
Canyon Geren, who started all 14 of his appearances last season as the ace of staff. He hurled the rock to a tune of a 4.11 ERA across a team-high 76.2 innings pitched. He led the squad with 81 strikeouts on the year, averaging better than one per frame.
"Having an anchor like Canyon on the staff is every coach's dream," Barnett added. "He has grown as a pitcher and flourished under the tutelage of coach
Nick Flesher."
A massive boost to the rotation should be the return of
Anfernee Fernandez. The hard-throwing right-hander has returned after a redshirt year to help bolster the rotation. He had a 3.46 ERA in 2024 across 10 starts. His 54.2 innings pitched were second-highest on the roster, and his 62 punchouts led the squad.
"Anfernee is a workhorse who has bounced back from injury," stated Barnett. "He will play a vital role in our success on the mound this year."
Outside of those two starting arms, the Buffaloes' pitching staff will be counting on many new faces to round out the innings, as
Brycen Denton and
Brady Thomas are the only other returners to appear in five or more contests in 2025.
"Offensively, and on the mound, we will lean on experience, which we have plenty of," Barnett pointed out. "We will also rely on some new faces that will play some vital roles to this team's success."
Newcomers: Milligan has brought in 32 new faces to the roster in 2025, with 20 of those being freshmen and 12 being junior transfers. Many of them will produce heavily as part of the 2026 outfit.
Looking at the Schedule: The AAC regular season is a 27-game schedule with three-game series against nine of the other 11 AAC teams. The three-game series will include two nine-inning games and one seven-inning contest. AAC play for the Buffs begins Feb. 13 vs. Pikeville (Ky.) on Anglin Field.
The Buffaloes start the year at Talladega, who went 43-14 in 2025. Their non-conference slate is also highlighted by the second annual Clash of Conferences, hosted by Milligan and Visit Kingsport at Anglin Field and Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport. Six total teams will play four games each on the weekend. The Buffs play two nationally ranked opponents, Cumberlands (Ky.) and Cumberland (Tenn.), twice in midweek tilts. They also host Georgia Gwinnett College, who is ranked No. 2 in the nation to begin the year.
Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.) and Tennessee Wesleyan will not count as conference opponents this season for Milligan, but the Buffs will play both teams three times in non-conference play.
The entirety of the schedule includes an evenly split 25 home games and 25 away bouts. The Buffs had 30 games at home in 2025, meaning it will be a lighter home schedule this season.
The 10-team AAC Tournament takes place at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport from April 28-May 2. The Buffs will be looking to find a way past the semifinal round this season, after being eliminated at that juncture in each of the last two seasons.
"This year's schedule will be very challenging, and we wouldn't have it any other way," Barnett said. "We have an opportunity to open up with a national tournament team right out of the gate. Having the chance to play quality opponents out of conference allows us to prepare for AAC opponents, which I believe is one of the best conferences in the country."
Last Word: "I'm looking forward to watching this team compete!" Barnett concluded.
