Eastern Illinois baseball head coach Jason Anderson has announced nine players as part of the Panthers incoming recruiting class for 2026.  EIU is coming off a 31 win season and Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship.
 
The nine players consist of both junior college and four-year transfers.   The class includes Landon Albers, Kyree Alexander, Zach Dohrmann, James Geshel, Lane Lorton, Eddie Scaccia, Dylan Schlenger, Hayden Trier and Mac Zawistoski.
 
Albers (Breese, Ill.) is a 6'3" left-handed pitcher that pitched the last three seasons at NAIA member Missouri Baptist.  In 2025 he was part of a team that advanced to the NAIA Tournament appearing in ten games with five starts.  He worked 23.1 innings finishing the season with 27 strikeouts.  He posted a 1-3 record with a 6.56 ERA.  In 2024 he was 6-2 on the mound with a 5.62 ERA making 15 appearances with five stats.  He had 54 strikeouts in 57.1 innings.  As a freshman in 2023 Albers made 13 appearances out of the bullpen.   He had a 1-0 record with two saves and a 3.00 ERA.  He nine strikeouts in 18 innings on the mound.  He earned All-Academic honors all three seasons including NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete honors as a junior.  He won conference Pitcher of the Week honors one time during his sophomore campaign.  Albers was a multi-sport athlete at Mater Dei Catholic High School earning letters in baseball, basketball and soccer.  He won the team defensive award in all three sports.  In basketball he was a member of the IHSA Class 2A state semifinal team in 2019-20.  He was a member of three IHSA Regional championship teams in soccer. 
 
Alexander (Chicago, Ill.) is a 5'8" utility player that can play multiple positions.  He is a transfer from Western Illinois where he spent three years on the Leathernecks roster.  In 2025 he hit .274 with 26 RBI and two home runs starting 48 games.  He led the team with 14 stolen bases and 13 doubles.  He recorded his 100th collegiate hit during the 2025 season.   He started 50 games in 2024 hitting .267 with 32 RBI and four home runs.  As a freshman in 2023 he earned honorable mention All-Summit League honors hitting .300 for conference play.  He led the team with nine stolen bases as a freshman.  Alexander played baseball at Thornwood High School.  He was a four-year varsity member earning All-Conference honors three times.  He was named a team captain his sophomore through senior years. 
 
Dohrmann (Farmington, Minn.) is a 6'3" right-handed pitcher that pitched last season at Milwaukee helping the program reach the Horizon League championship game.  He appeared in 19 games out of the bullpen finishing with a 2-1 record and 7.25 ERA.  He finished the year with 19 strikeouts in 22.1 innings of work.  Dohrmann pitched the previous two seasons at North Iowa Area CC.  In 2024 he made 15 appearances with 14 starts.  He finished the season with a 3-5 record and 5.14 ERA.  He struck out 58 batters in 63 innings of work.  As a freshman in 2023 he made 15 appearances with nine starts.  Dohrmann posted a 5.63 ERA with one win and one save to his credit.  He ended the season with 43 strikeouts in 46.1 innings of work.   He played baseball at Farmington High School and was selected to the MSHSL All-Star Game as a senior.  Dohrmann helped lead his school to a state championship as a junior.  He ended his career earning All-State, All-Section and first team All-State Tournament as a senior.  He set the school single season record with 72 strikeouts.
 
Geshel (Rockford, Mich.) is a 6'4" right-handed pitcher that pitched last season at Davenport University helping the team advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament.  Geshel made 11 appearances during the 2025 season with nine starts.  He posted a 5-2 record with a 4.68 ERA including tossing two complete games.  He finished the year with 48 strikeouts in 50 innings of work in the mound.  Prior to pitching at Davenport, Geshel spent two seasons at Western Michigan where he pitched in five games out of the bullpen in 2023 before redshirting the 2024 season with the Broncos.  He began his collegiate career pitching one season at Kellogg Community College.  He made 11 starts as a freshman tossing a pair of shutouts during the season.  He posted a 2.51 ERA striking out 55 batters in 46.2 innings of work.  Geshel earned second team MCCAA All-Western Conference honors.  He played high school baseball at Rockford HS earning first team OK Red All-Conference honors as a senior.
 
Lorton (Chatham, Ill.) is a 6'4" right-handed pitcher that pitched the last two seasons at Parkland College.  In 2025 he made 17 appearances with one start during the year.  Lorton ended the year with a 4-0 record and two saves with a 3.26 ERA.  He posted 47 strikeouts in 38.2 innings on the mound.  As a freshman in 2024 he pitched out of the bullpen in 18 games.  Lorton posted a 2-1 record with one save and a 4.91 ERA.  He struck out 36 batters in 24.2 innings.  He was a multi-sport athlete at Glenwood High School in Chatham.  He earned honorable mention All-Conference honors in baseball helping the team finish as the IHSA Class 3A state runner-up in 2022.  He also lettered in football.
 
Scaccia (Oswego, Ill.) is a 6'3" right-handed pitcher that played previously at both College of DuPage and Lake Land College in Mattoon.  In 2024 he pitched at College of DuPage helping the program reach the NJCAA Division III World Series after winning the Region 4 championship and Great Lakes District Championship.  He started ten games posting an 8-2 record with a 4.07 ERA.  Scaccia tossed one complete game striking out 57 batters in 48.2 innings of work.  In 2025 he pitched at Lake Land College helping the team advance to the NJCAA World Series winning the Region 24 championship and Midwest District championship.  He made 18 appearances with five starts during the season.  Scaccia posted a 4-4 record with two saves and a 5.81 ERA.  He tossed one complete game posting 55 strikeouts in 52.2 innings of work.  Scaccia played high school baseball at Oswego High School.  He was named the 2023 Southwest Prairie Conference Pitcher of the Year leading the team to two regional championships.  He was a two-time All-Conference selection. 
 
Schlenger (Woodway, Wash.) is a 6'2" right-handed pitcher that pitched the last two seasons at Columbia Basin CC in Pasco, Washington.  In 2025 he made 15 appearances with 13 starts on the mound.  Schlenger ended the year with a 5-4 record with one save and a 3.51 ERA.  He struck out 59 batters working 84.2 innings.   He was named a second team All-Region selection and to the All-Academic Team.  As a freshman in 2024 he made 12 appearances with six starts.  He finished the season with a 3-3 record and 6.28 ERA.   He struck out 28 batters in 28.2 innings.  Schlenger played baseball at Edmonds-Woodway High School.  He was the Area Player of the Year as a senior earning All-State honors.  He added All-Area and All-League honors.  Schlenger led his team to the 2023 WESCO Championship.
 
Trier (Louisville, Ky.) is a 6'4" right-handed pitcher that pitched the last two years at Lincoln Trail College (Ill.).  In 2025 he made 14 appearances with 12 starts tossing two complete games with one shutout.  He finished the season with a 4-4 record with one save and a 4.33 ERA.  Trier struck out 71 batters in 68.2 innings.  As a freshman in 2024 he made 15 appearances with 14 starts.  He worked 74.1 innings finishing the season with 74 strikeouts.  Trier posted a 5-4 record with a 6.30 ERA.  In the classroom he earned President's Academic Honor Roll.  Trier played baseball at Trinity High School and was a member of the school's 2021 Kentucky State Championship team.  
 
Zawistoski (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) is a 6'1" lefthanded pitcher that pitched the last two seasons at Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii.  In 2025 he made 15 appearances with nine starts posting a 2-3 record with one save.  He struck out 34 batters in 48 innings finishing the year with a 7.13 ERA.  As a freshman in 2024 he made 14 appearances in relief striking out 17 batters in 20.2 innings.  Zawistoski was twice named an Academic All-Pacific West Conference selection.  In addition, he competed in cross country at Chaminade during the fall of 2024.  He played high school baseball at JSerra Catholic HS in San Juan Capistrano posting a 1.82 ERA as a senior. 
 
The incoming group joins Drew Church, Jarrett Kinder, Kyle Boots, Blaine Nunnally and Braxdon Decker who were all previously announced incoming players back in December.