SALISBURY, Md. – Six members of the Salisbury University baseball team were recognized among the Mid-Atlantic's best with the publication of the 2026
American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Rawlings and
D3baseball.com All-Region teams on Tuesday morning.
Right-handed pitcher
Aidan Brinsfield took home Consensus Region V Pitcher of the Year honors, while outfielder
Nathan Tondreault secured D3baseball.com Region V Rookie of the Year laurels. Joining Brinsfield and Tondreault on the All-Region V rolls were third baseman
Jackson Inman and relief pitchers
Cole Williams,
Jack Rucker, and
Bryce Sterling.
Brinsfield [Jr. – Salisbury, Md. (Parkside)] is the third Sea Gull to win Region Pitcher of the Year from both voting bodies in the past six years after
Clayton Dwyer (2021) and
Jimmy Adkins (2022). Through a Division III-leading 16 starts this season, the Consensus All-Region First-Teamer has gone 10-3 with a 2.61 ERA with one complete game, 26 walks, and 74 strikeouts over 96.2 innings. Brinsfield, who has been part of two combined no-hitters and started both the Regional and Super Regional openers for SU, ranks fourth in the nation in wins and top-40 in strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP (1.07). He was named to the D3baseball.com All-Region Third Team last season.
Tondreault (Fr. – Oakton, Va.) is an ABCA All-Region First-Teamer and a D3baseball.com Second-Teamer as the latter's top newcomer to the Mid-Atlantic region. Through 46 games this season, he is slashing .378/.493/.651 with 13 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 47 RBIs, 56 runs, 23 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.144. Tondreault, who became the first player in 20 years to sweep Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Player and Rookie of the Year laurels, ranks 18th in the nation in walks (40) and is one of 16 Sea Gulls all-time to put up double-digit homers in one campaign.
Inman (So. – Damascus, Md.) becomes a Consensus First-Team All-Region pick, adding to his ABCA Third-Team nod in 2025. He is slashing .371/.465/.724 with 15 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs, 59 RBIs, 57 runs, 13 steals, and a 1.189 OPS while batting in the three-hole of every game. Inman – who has gone yard in three-of-five NCAA Tournament games – ranks top-50 in Division III in homers, RBIs, slugging, sac flies (7), and total bases (123), while his next home run will tie him for the Salisbury single-season record.
Williams (Jr. – Silver Spring, Md.) secures First-Team recognition from the ABCA and Second-Team from D3baseball.com for his first nods from both organizations. Over 27 relief appearances this season – good for second in the country – Williams boasts a 6-0 mark with a 1.53 ERA, one save, 17 walks, and 41 strikeouts across 47 innings. Williams has established himself as one of Division III's toughest arms to crack, ranking top-10 in ERA, WHIP (0.94), and hits allowed per nine innings (5.17). He is also the only pitcher to beat top-ranked Denison this year, tossing 3.2 hitless innings on Feb. 21 against a Big Red side that has won 44 straight since.
Rucker (So. – Arlington, Va.) snagged a Second-Team nod from the ABCA after going 8-0 with a 2.64 ERA, 18 walks, and 39 strikeouts over 47.2 innings across 13 appearances (four starts). He has gone at least three innings in 10 straight trips to the bump since Mar. 16, including a six-inning outing at Penn State Harrisburg on Apr. 23 in which he surrendered just one. Rucker was also the winning pitcher in Friday's Super Regional clincher over UChicago, surrendering two runs over 5.2 strong frames.
Sterling (Sr. – New Castle, Del.) notched Third-Team honors from D3baseball.com after building on his reputation as one of Division III's top closers. Across 16 appearances he is 4-0 with a 0.89 ERA, nine saves, five walks, and 25 strikeouts over 20.1 innings. Sterling ranks sixth in the nation in saves, while his 15 career saves have tied an SU program record. He earned Most Outstanding Player at the Salisbury Regional after tossing five scoreless over two games, including four innings through extras in the clincher over Hobart.
The Sea Gulls will ride their "Sinister Six" into the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship this week, opening pool play against Endicott on Friday at approximately 8:30 p.m. in Eastlake, Ohio. SU is playing in its fourth College World Series in six years and seeking its second-ever national championship after winning the title in 2021.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 26 individual national championships, and 211 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
