GREENWOOD, Ind. – Right-handed pitcher
Cole Williams of the Salisbury University baseball team was honored with
College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District distinction for the second time in his career, as revealed by the organization on Tuesday.
Williams (Jr. – Silver Springs, Md.) sports an impressive 3.954 grade-point average (GPA) as an Exercise Science major with a minor in Athletic Coaching. An SU Dean's List honoree six times out of a possible six semesters, he is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma national student-athlete honor society and routinely serves the underprivileged at Hope and Life Outreach (HALO) Ministries in Salisbury.
One of the Sea Gulls' most important arms, Williams took his game to new highs in 2026, going 6-0 with a 1.49 ERA, one save, 19 walks, and 43 strikeouts over 48.1 innings across 29 appearances. He finished the season with the third-most pitching appearances in all of NCAA Division III and boasted top-15 marks in ERA, WHIP (0.97), and hits allowed per nine innings (5.21). Williams' 29 appearances were the most for an SU pitcher in one season since 2011, while his 1.49 ERA was the program's best qualified mark in eight years.
Williams adds another Academic All-District prize to a fruitful 2026 awards cabinet that includes Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Scholar-Athlete of the Year, All-C2C First Team, All-Region selections from both major organizations, and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Second-Team All-America. He was also Salisbury's nominee for the Elite Scholar-Athlete Award at the NCAA Baseball Championship site.
With Williams as their chief fireman throughout the season, the Sea Gulls finished 37-11, captured the C2C championship and sixth straight regional title, and qualified for the Division III World Series for the fourth time this decade.
Williams and other select Academic All-District honorees will advance to CSC Academic All-America balloting. Three teams' worth of recipients as voted upon by CSC members will be revealed on Tuesday, June 23.
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.
