Caughey and Tumis Named to 2026 College Baseball Foundation Pitcher of the Year Watch List
3/11/2026 8:56:00 PM | Baseball
Kent State Duo Are the Only Mid-American Conference Pitchers on the National Watch List
KENT, Ohio – The College Baseball Foundation announced its 2026 Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List on Wednesday, and Kent State baseball is well-represented. Right-handers Ciaran Caughey and Easton Tumis have both been named to the list, making the Golden Flashes the only program in the Mid-American Conference with any pitchers on the prestigious national watch list.
A total of 142 of the nation's top collegiate pitchers representing 26 conferences were named to the watch list, which recognizes the best mound performers through the early portion of the 2026 season.
Caughey, a senior right-hander, has been one of the most dominant starters in the country to open the 2026 campaign. Through four starts, he has posted a 2-0 record and a sterling 0.92 ERA over 19.2 innings of work. He has struck out 26 batters while allowing just two earned runs on the season. His most recent outing was a gem against Bowling Green, where he tossed seven innings, surrendered just two hits and one run, and struck out nine. Caughey has twice been nearly unhittable, holding Southeastern Louisiana to three hits over five scoreless innings in his season debut and limiting Tennessee to just two hits in four frames.
Tumis, a redshirt sophomore, began the season on a tear as well, winning two of his first three starts and carrying a 4.29 ERA through four outings. The right-hander's strongest performance came against Rhode Island, when he went six full innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits while walking one and striking out two.Â
Caughey and Tumis are the only two MAC pitchers on the watch list, which is a testament to the depth Kent State has built on the mound. The program has a storied history with the award, as Eric Lauer won the National Pitcher of the Year Award for Kent State in 2016, and the Flashes are aiming to put their pitching staff back on the national map in 2026.
The National Pitcher of the Year Award, presented by the College Baseball Foundation, has been awarded annually since 2009. The watch list will be updated throughout the season, with finalists and an ultimate winner named as the year progresses. For more information on the award, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
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