Bio
Nathan Mertens comes to the Explorers after being one of the nation’s most efficient and reliable strike‑throwers at Southeast Missouri State (SEMO).
He earned First Team All‑OVC honors in both 2025 and 2026, first as a starter, then again as a reliever.
During the 2026 season, Mertens led the entire country in both walks per nine innings (3.05) and strikeout‑to‑walk ratio (17.67). He issued just three walks to OVC hitters all season and finished conference play with a perfect 4–0 record over 40.1 innings, adding three saves along the way. Overall, he logged 61.1 innings, struck out 55, and walked only three batters across 17 appearances.
His 2025 campaign was equally impressive. Mertens made 15 appearances, including 13 starts, and threw 79.0 innings, striking out 67 while walking just eight. He led all of Division I baseball in BB/9 (0.92) and ranked third nationally in K/BB ratio (8.25).
Before arriving at SEMO, Mertens dominated at East Los Angeles College, where he led the state of California in strikeouts during his sophomore season. He fanned 113 hitters in 90 innings while issuing only 17 walks.
A native of La Cañada, California, Mertens was a four‑year varsity starter at La Cañada High School and helped lead the program to its first Division 3 Finals appearance in school history.