Marion Athletics -

Marion's run to the 2025 Class 5A state final last spring featured no shortage of heroes, not the least of which was Coleman Barnett.

The senior utility player and all-conference performer produced a standout spring, his first as a full-time starter.

He parlayed his development last Friday into a scholarship at Ouachita Baptist University, where Barnett will continue his athletic and academic career upon graduating from Marion in May 2026.

“I'm very excited because I always wanted to play college baseball,” said Barnett. “This is my opportunity, and I'm ready to show out.”

“You can't help but be impressed by the work he puts in on a day-to-day basis,” said Marion baseball coach David Lara. “He's in there most days, a big majority of days, getting in extra work, trying to get better. He'll do well as a young man because he's very mature, and that's going to help him have a lot of success at the next level.”

Barnett started five conference games last spring on the mound, finishing second on the club in innings pitched (43) and strikeouts (42), and he spun a staff-best 1.96 ERA in 2025.

The righty earned the save in Marion's first-round playoff victory over Lake Hamilton before bouncing back in the quarterfinals to earn the victory over Van Buren.

At the plate, Barnett (4.0 GPA) batted .289 with a .396 OBP, featuring 22 hits, 10 doubles, 17 runs scored, and 14 RBI, spending most of his time defensively at third base.

“He's been really good leading us verbally, especially of late,” said Lara. “He's very encouraging, making sure we are on the same page and doing things the right way, not just his classmates, he gets involved with younger guys too, which is rare, I think.”

The Ouachita Baptist Tigers, located in Arkadelphia, finished 24-25 in 2025, but were a strong 20-13 in the Great American Conference (GAC).

“I like the way they play, they really work hard,” said Barnett. “They play really good competition, too, and that's a big deal for me. The coaches really seemed to like me, and are all about baseball.”

Barnett expects to pitch early on in his time at Ouachita, but added that he could also see some time on the infield.