NCAA enters professional ranks

[4maddux_cy's]

Virginia Tech Takes Super Regionals in Deciding Game:

Mark one up for the Virginia Tech Hokies.

In the crucial final game, they put away the Boston College Eagles 3-2 at English Field to win the Super Regionals, 2-1 and advance to the Semi Finals.

Although his team came up short, Boston College's Jim McMurray was named the series MVP, with many of the league media feeling the series would have been over much sooner if not for his contributions.

"McMurray did a lot to keep Boston College in it, no doubt about that," said Hokies manager Steve Purcell.

The Virginia Tech Hokies will play against the NC State Wolfpack in the next round. NC State won their series against the Stanford Cardinal 2 games to 0. The Semi Finals schedule will be announced after the Super Regionals finishes.

[4maddux_cy's]

Bears Dominate, Sweep Super Regionals:

The Baylor Bears appear poised to make a serious run at the College World Series after a convincing sweep over the Florida Gators in the Super Regionals.

It's now on to the Semi Finals for Baylor, who won the final game 4-3 and took the series 2-0.

"Everyone's doing their part and things are falling into place," said Baylor right fielder Lee Sabin, who was named series MVP. "It feels like a special year."

For the series, Sabin hit .500 with a .600 on-base percentage. He had 1 home runs, drove in 1 RBI and scored 1 runs.

The Baylor Bears don't know who they will face in the next round. They will play the winner of the Ole Miss Rebels - Arkansas Razorbacks series. That series is tied at 1 game apiece. The Semi Finals schedule will be announced after the Super Regionals finishes.

[4maddux_cy's]

Updated bracket heading into semis!

[4maddux_cy's]

Bears Dominate, Sweep Semi Finals:

The Ole Miss Rebels were simply overmatched by the Baylor Bears in the Semi Finals.

The end result was a sweep, as Baylor has cruised to the College World Series, with the final win coming at Swayze Field by a score of 8-4.

"We're clicking and running on all cylinders at the moment," said Woody English, who was named MVP of the Semi Finals. "We're a dangerous team when we play like this."

For the series, English hit .583 with a .583 on-base percentage. He had 0 home runs, drove in 2 RBI and scored 2 runs.

The Baylor Bears don't know who they will face in the next round. They will play the winner of the Virginia Tech Hokies - NC State Wolfpack series. That series is tied at 2 games apiece. The College World Series schedule will be announced after the Semi Finals finishes.

[4maddux_cy's]

NC State Takes Semi Finals in Deciding Game:

It took a while, but the NC State Wolfpack finally disposed of the Virginia Tech Hokies 2-1 in the series clincher at Doak Field.

Winning the finale gave the Wolfpack the series, 3-2. They will now advance to the College World Series.

The Most Valuable Player Award went to NC State center fielder Bruce Bochte. He batted .421 in the series, collecting 1 RBIs and scoring 5 runs.

The NC State Wolfpack will play against the Baylor Bears in the next round. Baylor won their series against the Ole Miss Rebels 3 games to 0. The College World Series schedule will be announced after the Semi Finals finishes.

[4maddux_cy's]

It's Over! NC State Defeats Baylor:

It was all about winning for the NC State Wolfpack -- and win they did.

There was nothing fancy in how they went about it, players said, they just prepared mentally and physically and then went out and played baseball.

"We did the little things right and we did the big things right," said right fielder Max Kepler, who was named series MVP. "Now we're the league champions."

NC State defeated the Baylor Bears by a score of 5-0 at Doak Field to take the series 3-2.

"Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you make your own luck," said NC State manager Aaron Havens. "We got lucky a few times, but mostly we did the right things by being prepared for each game and playing the game the way it's meant to be played."

[4maddux_cy's]

NL Honors Outstanding Fielders:

The Gold Glove Award goes to the defender at each position who provides consistent, and often eye-popping, defense each season. The National League winners for 2026 are:

Pitcher
Brad Radke (Washington State Cougars)

Catcher
Travis Triezenberg (NC State Wolfpack)

First Baseman
Jairo Morejon (Purdue Boilermakers)

Second Baseman
Aaron Lee (Northwestern Wildcats)

Third Baseman
Jeremy Fauteux (Michigan Wolverines)

Shortstop
Andrelton Simmons (DePaul Blue Demons)

Left Fielder
Sandy Ordaz (Virginia Cavaliers)

Center Fielder
Gabe Hurwitz (Marquette Golden Eagles)

Right Fielder
Isaiah Ivy (Syracuse Orange)

[4maddux_cy's]

American League Announces Gold Glove Award Winners:

A great defense can often be the difference between winning and losing, and this year's winners of the American League Gold Glove Award provided great defense all year long. The 2026 winners are:

Pitcher
Ross Capps (Illinois State Redbirds)

Catcher
Ken Billie (Southern Miss Golden Eagles)

First Baseman
Mel Garcia (North Texas Mean Green)

Second Baseman
Joe Nesselrotte (Florida International Panthers)

Third Baseman
Edgar Ornelas (Mississippi State Bulldogs)

Shortstop
Primo Capriati (Florida Gators)

Left Fielder
Oscar Mercado (Kentucky Wildcats)

Center Fielder
Jon Reynoso (Texas Longhorns)

Right Fielder
Carlos Hernandez (Portland State Vikings)

[4maddux_cy's]

Siddon Wins Award for NL Dominance:

Jared Siddon said with his contract set to expire, it was important he put up a big season with the Miami Hurricanes. He did exactly that and has won the 2026 National League Reliever of the Year Award.

"When your contract is about to expire and you're maybe going to become a free agent, you really want to show the league that you've still got it," the 33-year-old said. "I think I proved myself and should be able to get a pretty good contract now."

His season saw opponents hit only .133 against him, while he fashioned a 1.08 ERA over 66.2 innings of work. He made 60 relief appearances and had 40 saves, with 116 strikeouts, 20 walks and a record of 3-0.

He received 58 first place votes out of a possible 146. Mark Littell of the Arizona State Sun Devils finished second in voting with 61 first place votes, while Arturo Martinez of the Houston Cougars finished third with 20 first place votes.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Jared Siddon - Miami Hurricanes - 58 - 482
Mark Littell - Arizona State Sun Devils - 61 - 418
Arturo Martinez - Houston Cougars - 20 - 250
Mike Knoch - NC State Wolfpack - 4 - 98
Danny Buol - Stanford Cardinal - 3 - 51
Andy Williams - Utah Utes - 0 - 5
Jordan Hutcheson - Florida State Seminoles - 0 - 4
Len Barker - Villanova Wildcats - 0 - 3
Hector Leon - Syracuse Orange - 0 - 3

[4maddux_cy's]

Makeever Named Top Reliever for AL:

Chris Makeever picked a great time to have a career year.

The Florida Atlantic Owls relief ace was better than all others in the American League this year and has won the Reliever of the Year Award for 2026. It comes at a time when he's an impending free agent.

"Of course you want to pitch well when you're in that situation, but of course, you want to pitch well all the time," the 33-year-old said.

For the year, Makeever had a 2.74 ERA, with 101.2 innings pitched. He made 64 relief appearances and had 8 saves, 168 strikeouts, 32 walks and a record of 7 wins and 6 losses.

He received 76 first place votes out of a possible 146. R.J. Martines of the Florida Atlantic Owls finished second in voting with 61 first place votes, while Christian Haile of the Florida Gators finished third with 7 first place votes.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Chris Makeever - Florida Atlantic Owls - 76 - 551
R.J. Martines - Florida Atlantic Owls - 61 - 547
Christian Haile - Florida Gators - 7 - 146
Jeff Montgomery - Ole Miss Rebels - 2 - 29
Ramon Sanchez - South Carolina Gamecocks - 0 - 27
Cy Seymour - Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners - 0 - 11
Bryan Rinehart - Texas Tech Red Raiders - 0 - 2
Elijah Allen - South Carolina Gamecocks - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

Silver Slugger Award Winners Named for the NL:

The National League Silver Slugger Award for 2026 has been awarded to those players that showed standout offensive performances in the past year. The winners are:

Catcher
Joe Torre (Michigan Wolverines)
.342/.417/.606, 530 AB, 36 HR, 2 SB, 160 wRC+, 6.5 WAR

First Baseman
Johnny Mize (Illinois Fighting Illini)
.367/.458/.768, 624 AB, 69 HR, 142 R, 165 RBI, 11.0 WAR

Second Baseman
Fred Dunlap (Wichita State Shockers)
.356/.431/.626, 604 AB, 35 HR, 8 SB, 130 R, 117 RBI, 9.0 WAR

Third Baseman
Mike Schmidt (Wisconsin Badgers)
.267/.375/.679, 561 AB, 69 HR, 14 SB, 122 R, 150 RBI, 9.2 WAR

Shortstop
Dave Bancroft (Washington Huskies)
.315/.409/.697, 587 AB, 71 HR, 2 SB, 133 R, 136 RBI, 11.0 WAR

Left Fielder
Sam Crawford (Colorado Buffaloes)
.346/.423/.796, 618 AB, 77 HR, 21 SB, 154 R, 145 RBI, 10.5 WAR

Center Fielder
Chet Lemon (Clemson Tigers)
.343/.438/.710, 601 AB, 54 HR, 5 SB, 130 R, 135 RBI, 12.2 WAR

Right Fielder
Harry Lumley (SMU Mustangs)
.339/.416/.832, 560 AB, 81 HR, 21 SB, 132 R, 142 RBI, 9.6 WAR

Designated Hitter
Topsy Hartsel (UCF Knights)
.345/.432/.661, 626 AB, 51 HR, 16 SB, 140 R, 165 RBI, 8.2 WAR

[4maddux_cy's]

AL Stars Named Silver Slugger Award Winners:

Some of these American League hitters were in close races with counterparts at their respective positions, while others were head and shoulders above the competition. Regardless, today the 2026 Silver Slugger Award winners have been named. They are:

Catcher
Tom Haller (UC Santa Barbara Gauchos)
.314/.426/.697, 456 AB, 50 HR, 1 SB, 120 RBI, 8.7 WAR

First Baseman
Andy Van Slyke (Kentucky Wildcats)
.365/.435/.791, 627 AB, 73 HR, 44 SB, 163 R, 177 RBI, 12.1 WAR

Second Baseman
Tony Lazzeri (Texas Longhorns)
.301/.396/.670, 584 AB, 60 HR, 19 SB, 126 R, 136 RBI, 8.0 WAR

Third Baseman
Frankie Frisch (Marshall Thundering Herd)
.351/.400/.624, 627 AB, 42 HR, 30 SB, 121 R, 121 RBI, 8.9 WAR

Shortstop
Vern Stephens (Missouri Tigers)
.327/.396/.642, 615 AB, 53 HR, 114 R, 119 RBI, 7.3 WAR

Left Fielder
Ty Cobb (Cal Poly Mustangs)
.429/.473/.896, 637 AB, 87 HR, 33 SB, 175 R, 185 RBI, 13.7 WAR

Center Fielder
Mike Trout (Kentucky Wildcats)
.330/.433/.733, 606 AB, 70 HR, 42 SB, 164 R, 183 RBI, 12.0 WAR

Right Fielder
Tim Hand (Long Beach State Dirtbags)
.334/.456/.659, 554 AB, 46 HR, 7 SB, 162 R, 137 RBI, 9.4 WAR

Designated Hitter
Chris Kelly (Vanderbilt Commodores)
.366/.487/.735, 528 AB, 51 HR, 2 SB, 126 R, 133 RBI, 9.2 WAR

[4maddux_cy's]

Creighton Third Baseman Wins NL Rookie of the Year:

Rookies are supposed to be seen, but not heard. But that wasn't the case with Creighton's Al Rosen. He spoke up loudly and often this season on his way to winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award for 2026.

To be accurate, the 25-year-old third baseman let his performance do the talking. In his debut season Rosen piled up some good stats, hitting .287, driving in 143 runs and scoring 127 times, while playing in 146 games. The Blue Jays newcomer also had 25 doubles, no triples and 67 home runs.

He received 112 first place votes out of a possible 146. Mel Ott of the Arizona Wildcats finished second in voting with 26 first place votes, while Ken Keltner of the Maryland Terrapins finished third.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Al Rosen - Creighton Blue Jays - 112 - 649
Mel Ott - Arizona Wildcats - 26 - 455
Ken Keltner - Maryland Terrapins - 0 - 107
Bill McGunnigle - North Carolina Tar Heels - 7 - 71
Ham Iburg - Houston Cougars - 0 - 13
Adam Duvall - Duke Blue Devils - 0 - 6
Chipper Jones - Louisville Cardinals - 1 - 5
Ozzie Albies - Ohio State Buckeyes - 0 - 3
J T Snow - Arizona Wildcats - 0 - 3
Orel Hershiser - NC State Wolfpack - 0 - 2

[4maddux_cy's]

AL's Best Rookie Announced:

The American League Rookie of the Year Award honoree has been picked for 2026 and the winner is Cal State Fullerton shortstop Germany Smith.

The talented Titans shortstop took the trophy by hitting .331 in 152 games this season and finishing with 203 hits, 51 home runs, 137 RBIs and 119 runs scored.

He received 121 first place votes out of a possible 146. Ryan Howard of the TCU Horned Frogs finished second in voting with 19 first place votes, while Adam Dunn of the Texas A&M Aggies finished third with 6 first place votes.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Germany Smith - Cal State Fullerton Titans - 121 - 671
Ryan Howard - TCU Horned Frogs - 19 - 337
Adam Dunn - Texas A&M Aggies - 6 - 296
Elmer Flick - Alabama Crimson Tide - 0 - 4
Walt Masterson - Tennessee Volunteers - 0 - 4
Joe Kennedy - UC San Diego Tritons - 0 - 2

[4maddux_cy's]

NL Outstanding Skipper Award Given to Havens: NC State manager Aaron Havens caused quite a stir when he came to town. Noted for his feisty, no-nonsense attitude, Havens threw his all into the 2026 campaign, winning over critics and fans as he went. He also won a few ballgames, running up a 108-54 record, which was good enough to take the second place spot in the National League ACC standings.

"These guys are grown men. They don't need psychobabble, they need to win ballgames," Havens snapped at his first press conference. While his approach was controversial, even for NC State, it netted the 45-year-old the National League Manager of the Year trophy. In response to which he replied, "It ain't molecular physics, it's baseball," and began discussing potential free agents with the local media.

[4maddux_cy's]

Robinson Wins AL Manager of the Year Trophy: Mike Robinson has molded the Baylor Bears into a top-flight American League team. The 2026 Skipper of the Year came into spring training with a commitment to getting the most out of his Bears.

"I told them I had no preconceived notions about them, that all of them were blank slates as far as I was concerned. I told them to learn my system and we would win. I told them all the spots on the roster were open, that the best players would play -- young or old, rookie or vet -- and that I expected them to hustle, to work hard, and play as a team. They bought into it and made me look good."

And Mike Robinson certainly got the most out of his ballclub. The Bears wrapped up the season in first place in the American League Big XII with a 106-56 record.

[4maddux_cy's]

Virginia Tech Star Seward Cops Cy Young Award: The Virginia Tech Hokies have a rising superstar or maybe even a budding Hall-of-Famer in the making.
It's Ed Seward, this year's National League Cy Young Award selection. This blossoming hurler wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance.

Seward compiled a 26-5 record in 32 starts, tallied 406 strikeouts in 243.2 innings and recorded a 1.74 ERA. Other clubs managed only a .156 batting average against him.

He received 145 first place votes out of a possible 146. Madison Bumgarner of the Louisville Cardinals finished second in voting with 1 first place vote, while Doc Newton of the Minnesota Golden Gophers finished third.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Ed Seward - Virginia Tech Hokies - 145 - 1015
Madison Bumgarner - Louisville Cardinals - 1 - 486
Doc Newton - Minnesota Golden Gophers - 0 - 406
Luis Rubalcava - Virginia Tech Hokies - 0 - 375
Jose Rositas - Wake Forest Demon Deacons - 0 - 90
Drew Godwin - Stanford Cardinal - 0 - 82
Bill McGunnigle - North Carolina Tar Heels - 0 - 12
Bob Gibson - Louisville Cardinals - 0 - 4
Mike Trueblood - NC State Wolfpack - 0 - 4
Johan Santana - Louisville Cardinals - 0 - 3
Sandy Koufax - Louisville Cardinals - 0 - 2
Jon Bailey - Tulane Green Wave - 0 - 1
Dutch H Leonard - Providence Friars - 0 - 1
J R Richard - DePaul Blue Demons - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

Georgia's Righetti Gets Cy Young Award:

Dave Righetti of the Georgia Bulldogs fired on all cylinders in 2026 and dominated American League batters. For his superb season he has been selected the Cy Young Award winner.

During the year Righetti compiled a 22-4 record, a 1.93 ERA and 333 strikeouts while working 238 innings.

He received 146 first place votes, as a unanimous winner. Bill Donovan of the Montana State Bobcats finished second in voting, while Watty Clark of the Long Beach State Dirtbags finished third.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Dave Righetti - Georgia Bulldogs - 146 - 1022
Bill Donovan - Montana State Bobcats - 0 - 482
Watty Clark - Long Beach State Dirtbags - 0 - 456
Mark Prior - Florida International Panthers - 0 - 203
Russ Bauers - Ole Miss Rebels - 0 - 169
Ed Morris - North Dakota Fighting Hawks - 0 - 60
Pat Malone - Rice Owls - 0 - 46
Bob Rush - Gonzaga Bulldogs - 0 - 21
Ed Killian - Texas Tech Red Raiders - 0 - 13
Carl Hubbell - Georgia Bulldogs - 0 - 6
Charles Bender - Long Beach State Dirtbags - 0 - 4

[4maddux_cy's]

Best Season In NL Belongs To Mize:

The manager of the Illinois Fighting Illini said he thinks Johnny Mize is only going to get better as he gets older.

He may only be 25, but it will be hard to top the first baseman's 2026 campaign, as he has been named the winner of the National League Most Valuable Player Award.

His winning campaign featured a .367 batting average and a .458 on-base percentage this year. In 158 games he piled up 229 hits, 33 doubles, 5 triples, 69 home runs, 165 RBIs and 142 runs scored.

He received 39 first place votes out of a possible 146. Sam Crawford of the Colorado Buffaloes finished second in voting with 41 first place votes, while Dusty Denny of the Utah Utes finished third with 16 first place votes.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Johnny Mize - Illinois Fighting Illini - 39 - 1385
Sam Crawford - Colorado Buffaloes - 41 - 1323
Dusty Denny - Utah Utes - 16 - 1104
Joey Votto - Memphis Tigers - 16 - 1077
Chet Lemon - Clemson Tigers - 14 - 953
Lee Maye - UCF Knights - 0 - 471
Ed Seward - Virginia Tech Hokies - 19 - 462
Harry Lumley - SMU Mustangs - 0 - 412
Juan Soto - USC Trojans - 0 - 265
Manny Ramirez - Louisville Cardinals - 1 - 243
Dave Bancroft - Washington Huskies - 0 - 240
Topsy Hartsel - UCF Knights - 0 - 222
Jared Witherington - Cincinnati Bearcats - 0 - 202
Stan Musial - Arizona Wildcats - 0 - 78
Yasiel Puig - Virginia Tech Hokies - 0 - 36
Josh Hamilton - Louisville Cardinals - 0 - 34
Madison Bumgarner - Louisville Cardinals - 0 - 28
Garrett Jones - UCF Knights - 0 - 22
Jim McMurray - Boston College Eagles - 0 - 16
Luis Rubalcava - Virginia Tech Hokies - 0 - 14
Doc Newton - Minnesota Golden Gophers - 0 - 11
Rickey Henderson - Wake Forest Demon Deacons - 0 - 6
Bill Madlock - Purdue Boilermakers - 0 - 5
Eric Davis - Creighton Blue Jays - 0 - 2
Chuck Klein - Colorado Buffaloes - 0 - 1
Mel Ott - Arizona Wildcats - 0 - 1
Mike Schmidt - Wisconsin Badgers - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

Top Player Named by American League:

The future looks extremely bright for Ty Cobb. At the age of 26, many players are still trying to find their way in NCAA.

Cobb has not only found his way, he's already established himself as one of the game's brightest stars, today being named the winner of the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

"I didn't expect to hit .429 this year, that's for sure," the left fielder said.

The Cal Poly Mustangs star also put up a .473 on-base percentage this year, with 273 hits, 31 doubles, 3 triples, 87 home runs, 185 RBIs and 175 runs scored.

He received 146 first place votes, as a unanimous winner. Andy Van Slyke of the Kentucky Wildcats finished second in voting, while Mike Trout of the Kentucky Wildcats finished third.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Ty Cobb - Cal Poly Mustangs - 146 - 2044
Andy Van Slyke - Kentucky Wildcats - 0 - 1305
Mike Trout - Kentucky Wildcats - 0 - 1138
George Hall - Texas A&M Aggies - 0 - 988
Fred Lynn - Eastern Washington Eagles - 0 - 663
Bobby Bonilla - Oklahoma State Cowboys - 0 - 601
Matt Holliday - LSU Tigers - 0 - 438
Fred McGriff - Long Beach State Dirtbags - 0 - 281
Joe Medwick - Florida Atlantic Owls - 0 - 229
Bobby Moore - Georgia Bulldogs - 0 - 215
Casey Youngblood - UC Santa Barbara Gauchos - 0 - 170
Dave Righetti - Georgia Bulldogs - 0 - 141
Chris Kelly - Vanderbilt Commodores - 0 - 81
John Wilson - Sacramento State Hornets - 0 - 76
Shohei Ohtani - Arkansas Razorbacks - 0 - 63
Tim Hand - Long Beach State Dirtbags - 0 - 36
Jose Arellano - Cal Poly Mustangs - 0 - 35
Watty Clark - Long Beach State Dirtbags - 0 - 28
Duffy Lewis - Marshall Thundering Herd - 0 - 24
Bill Donovan - Montana State Bobcats - 0 - 12
Tony Martinez - Arkansas Razorbacks - 0 - 11
Dave Robertson - Auburn Tigers - 0 - 9
Vern Stephens - Missouri Tigers - 0 - 7
Ryan Howard - TCU Horned Frogs - 0 - 5
Henry Larkin - Sacramento State Hornets - 0 - 5
Germany Smith - Cal State Fullerton Titans - 0 - 4
Sherry Magee - Pepperdine Waves - 0 - 3
Ivan Rodriguez - Oklahoma State Cowboys - 0 - 2