OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha Baseball head coach Evan Porter signed nine to its initial 2026 class.

Joining the Mavericks for the 2026 season are:
· Dakota Hughes – Right-Handed Pitcher – Omaha, Neb.
· Austin Baldwin – Infielder/Outfielder – Beatrice, Neb.
· Brennan Vernon – Shortstop – Lincoln, Neb.
· Alec Small – Catcher/Shortstop – Lincoln, Neb.
· Carson Derr – Catcher – Papillion, Neb.
· Dele Odulate – Outfielder – Lincoln, Neb.
· Kai Vanis – Shortstop – Lincoln, Neb.
· Ashton Gaulton – Shortstop – Oshwa, Ontario, Canada
· Brody Epke – Outfielder / Pitcher – Wichita, Kan.

"We couldn't be more excited to announce what we believe is one of the strongest early signing classes in Omaha Baseball history." said Porter. "Our goal for the 2026 class was clear, to keep the best local talent at home. We accomplished that with seven of our nine signees proudly representing our state. The remaining two have been on our radar for quite some time and we've built great relationships with both. This group embodies the toughness, character and competitiveness that define Maverick Baseball, and we can't wait to see the impact they'll make in an Omaha uniform."

Dakota Hughes 
Hughes joins the Mavericks following a decorated high school career. He earned All-State Honorable Mention as a freshman and sophomore and helped lead his school to a state tournament appearance during his freshman season.

Austin Baldwin 
Baldwin earned First-Team All-Conference honors as a sophomore and was named to the Omaha World-HeraldAll-State Team and First-Team All-Conference as a junior. He set three Beatrice High School triples and stolen base records across his sophomore and junior seasons and ranked No. 1 in Class B and No. 2 All-Class in batting average as a junior. Baldwin helped guide Beatrice to multiple state tournament appearances.

Brennan Vernon 
Vernon earned PBR Nebraska Third-Team All-State, All-City First-Team and Super State Second-Team honors as a junior. He was a Lincoln Southwest state qualifier as a sophomore and an American Division State Legion champion as a junior.

Alec Small 
Small attended Norris High School, winning a conference title and Class B state championship as a sophomore. He earned All-Conference, Class B All-State and Super State Second-Team honors as a junior.

Carson Derr 
Derr earned Second Team All-State recognition as both a sophomore and junior and was ranked as the No. 1 all-class catcher in Nebraska. He helped lead Millard South to multiple state tournament appearances.

Dele Odulate 
Odulate was a Lincoln East High School city champion as a freshman and a junior varsity city runner-up with an 18-1 record as a sophomore, while capturing a Class A state championship following a 33-3 season as a junior. He also led Lincoln East in stolen bases.

Kai Vanis 
Vanis garnered Academic All-State and Omaha World-Herald All-State Honorable Mention recognition. He broke the Pius X High School varsity career triples record (nine), as well as the Union Bank Senior Legion single-season (nine) and career (17) triples records.

Ashton Gaulton 
Gaulton led his team in batting average, extra-base hits and defensive percentage as a freshman and senior. He was an All-Star honoree all four years of his high school career and was a division finalist as a sophomore and senior.

Brody Epke 
Epke earned Second Team All-Conference honors as a freshman and First Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-State recognition as a junior.