App State Baseball in the Pros: 2026 Roundup

With the 2026 Professional Baseball regular season in the books, we look back at the year that was for our App State Baseball alumni across the professional ranks. The 2026 season was highlighted by Jackson Steensma being recognized with an organizational award by the Seattle Mariners during their final homestand of the season (photo above).

Jeffrey Springs

• Made 29 starts for the Athletics
• Struck out over 100 batters for the third time in his career
• Threw seven scoreless innings, striking out six on April 9 at the Yankees and again on Sept. 5 at Seattle
• Struck out at least six batters in seven starts

 
Kaleb Bowman

• Reached Triple-A For first time in career, playing for the Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee)
• Struck out five batters in 2.2 scoreless innings in relief on May 14 vs Iowa
• Pitched at least 2.0 innings in relief in 13 of his 34 appearances
• Recorded four wins, two holds and a save

 
Jack Hartman

• Limited to 8 appearances due to injury
• Went 4-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 10.0 innings across action in the Florida Complex League and Double-A Montgomery

 
Austin St. Laurent

• Played the majority of the season for Adv.-A Everette before being promoted to Double-A Arkansas in September
• Slashed .283/.375/.393/.768 with 16 doubles and five home runs
• Played 2B, 3B, SS and made 3 pitching appearances
• Enjoyed a 5-hit game on Aug 11. vs Spokane
• Batted .326 in the second half of the season, highlighted by a .342 average in August

 
Jackson Steensma

• Debut season with Single-A Inland Empire
• Earned the Mariners Organizational "Dominate the Zone" award, ranking among California League leaders in a variety of statistical categories – 12th in K/9 (12.67), 8th in BB/9 (2.08), 7th in WHIP
• Posted a 4.57 ERA, striking out 61 batters across 43.1 innings
• Held opponents to a .221 batting average and logged a 1.06 WHIP
• Struck out at least five batters six times on the season

 
Liam Best

• Made 36 appearances on the season
• Went 3-2 with a 3.59 ERA and held the opposition to a batting average of .247 
• Struck out 55 batters in 47.2 innings of work 
• Promoted from the Single-A Palm Beach Cardinals to the Adv.- A Peoria Chiefs on Aug. 11
• Posted a 2.57 ERA, and .130 BAA in Adv. A
• Did not allow a run in the month of July in Single-A
• Recorded a 1.11 ERA in second half 

 
Bradley Wilson

• Signed to MiLB contract by Blue Jays after beginning season in the Frontier League
• Won the Northwest League Championship with the Vancouver Canadians
• 19 appearances between Single-A Dunedin and Adv.-A Vancouver after earning the promotion on August 10
• Went 1-3 with a 5.76 ERA, striking out 51 batters in 54.2 innings of work and holding opponents to a .262 batting average.

 
Jordan Fisher

• Made his professional debut for Gastonia Ghost Peppers (Atlantic League)
• Went 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 28 appearances 
• Struck out 45 batters in 32.2 innings of work, for a 1.01 WHIP and a .168 opponent's batting average

 
Everette Harris

• Made his professional debut for Tri-City ValleyCats (Frontier League)
• Went 1-1 with a 8.68 ERA in six appearances
• Struck out four batters in 9.1 innings

 
Chandler Seagle

• Completed his 10^th season of pro ball w/Gastonia Ghost Peppers (Atlantic League)
• Slashed .262/.326/.470/.796 on the season
• Hit a career-high 13 home runs (hit 11 total in career previously), including homering off former Cy Young award winner Trevor Bauer
• Posted an elite defensive season, with a fielding percentage of .991 and nabbed 35 attempted base stealers

 
Banks Tolley

• Played for the Schaumburg Bombers (Frontier League) for the second straight season
• Slashed .263/.347/.449/.796 with 11 doubles, 11 home runs and drove in 42 runs in 62 games

 
Staff
Jaylin Davis

• Won the Arizona Complex League Championship with the Colorado Rockies in his first year as a coach

 
Hector Crespo

• Director of Infield & Minor League Field Operations for the Miami Marlins
• Inducted into the App State Athletics Hall of Fame in September

 
Dusty Blake

• Pitching Coach, St. Louis Cardinals

 
Rob Marcello

• Assistant Pitching Coach, Miami Marlins