Contact:
Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
2026 ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award Recipients
July 22, 2026 - The North Central College baseball team has earned the American Baseball Coaches Association Team Academic Excellence Award for the ninth straight season, continuing its sustained success in the classroom.
The ABCA recognized nearly 500 college programs and more than 320 high school teams nationwide for maintaining a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during the 2025-26 academic year. North Central was one of 196 NCAA Division III programs to receive the honor and one of seven teams from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin to be acknowledged.
North Central's academic achievements extended beyond the ABCA as
Payton Diaz,
Caleb Smith,
Luke Wallace,
Parker Wyatt and
Yuhki Yamada earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District recognition. They joined
Danny DiMartino,
Gavin Gawronski,
Mason Glaudel,
Braeden Groszek,
Jacob Hoernschemeyer,
Ryan Huskey,
Jake Jurkacek,
Tyler Pritchard,
Frankie Valli and
Owen Ziaja as Academic All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin selections.
On the field,
Jackson Bland was named an ABCA and D3baseball.com All-American.
Caleb Coberley, Diaz and Wyatt earned All-Region honors, with Diaz also receiving an ABCA Region VIII All-Defensive Team selection.
The Cardinals will open the 2027 season in late February.
