2026 SUNYAC Baseball All-Conference and Individual Awards Posted

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC recognizes its 2026 baseball league award winners including the Bob Wallace Player of the Year, Don Axtell Pitcher of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Clark V. Whited Co-Rookie of the Year, Walter Nitardy Co-Coach of the Year and the All-Conference teams as voted on by the conference coaches. 

Bob Wallace Player of the Year - Tristan Gatchalian, Cortland 
Gatchalian finished second in the league with a .466 batting average and was third with a .557 on base percentage in conference play. He was No. 1 in hits (27), total bases (37) and sacrifice flies (4) across 16 conference games. Gatchalian was also third with a .638 slugging percentage in SUNYAC regular season play. He led the league overall with a .432 batting average in 40 games totaling 42 runs, 60 hits and 10 doubles. In his junior year, Gatchalian had season highs of 11 putouts, seven RBI, three runs and four hits. The Red Dragons were the No. 1 seed in the conference after regular season play. Gatchalian was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament team after helping his team win the SUNYAC crown. The team is 29-10-1 overall heading into the NCAA tournament.

Bob "Sparky" Wallace Player of the Year - Bob "Sparky" Wallace graduated from Cortland in 1953 and began coaching the Red Dragons in 1958. In his 24 seasons as head coach, his team compiled a 366-207-3 record, winning 10 SUNYAC titles and making an NCAA appearance in 1981. Wallace was inducted into Cortland's C-Club Hall of Fame in 1979, and Cortland's baseball field is named in his honor. 

Don Axtell Pitcher of the Year - Warren Miller, Cortland
Miller finished regular season league play with a 1.52 ERA and 34 strikeouts in five appearances. He finished conference play with a 3-1 record. Overall he leads the conference with a 2.82 ERA throwing 69 strikeouts (11.43/game) so far this season. Miller had a season high of 12 strikeouts against Oswego on May 9. He was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament team after helping his team win the 2026 SUNYAC baseball championship crown. Miller and his team will continue their season in a four-team, double-elimination regional, May 15-17 at Denison University in Granville, Ohio.

Don Axtell Pitcher of the Year - Don Axtell was the baseball coach at Oneonta for 30 years, leading the Red Dragons to many successful seasons. His teams won or shared 10 SUNYAC titles, made the school's only visit to the ECAC Championships (1974 and 1975), and was selected as the SUNYAC Coach of the Year four times. His last Coach of the Year Award came in 1989. He also was inducted into the SUNY Oneonta Hall Of Fame in 2001 and the Waverly High School Hall of Fame.

Defensive Player of the Year - Brendan Mair, Oswego
Mair was perfect in the field for Oswego with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 15 conference games. He had 74 putouts as the catcher for the Lakers. Overall he totaled 94 putouts with 1 error in 22 games so far this season. Smith also added 23 hits, 11 RBI and maintains a .315 batting average for Oswego. He helped his team advance the conference championship before they fell short to the Red Dragons of Cortland. The team ended the 2026 season with a 23-16 overall record.

Clark V. Whited Rookie of the Year - Anthony Carlo, Cortland 
Carlo was sixth in the league with a .400 batting average in conference competition. He totaled 18 hits and 18 runs with five doubles, 20 RBI and two stolen bases in 15 conference games. Overall he maintains a .487 on base percentage with a .463 slugging percentage so far this season. In his rookie year he was named to the SUNYAC All-Confernce team after he helped his team lift the conference trophy and earn the right to play in his first NCAA Division III regional.

Clark V. Whited Rookie of the Year - Clark Whited coached the Brockport Golden Eagles for 22 years (1947-68), amassing a 128-93-1 overall record during his tenure. His 128 wins were the most of any baseball coach at the school until 2003. Whited was inducted into the inaugural class of the SUNY Brockport Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, and the current baseball/softball complex at Brockport is named in his honor. Whited passed away on October 29, 2005.

Walter Nitardy Co-Coach of the Year - Joe Brown, Cortland 
This is Joe Brown's 11th SUNYAC Coach of the Year honor as the head coach of the Cortland Red Dragons. He led his team to the program's 38th SUNYAC baseball championship title this season. Seven student-athletes were named to the 2026 All-Conference team including the the Player of the Year Tristian Gatchalian, Pitcher of the Year Warren Miller, and the Rookie of the Year Anthony Carlo. This year, Brown coache his team to his 26th straight straight NCAA berth, the program's 33nd straight appearance. Cortland will travel to Denison University as the second seed to play in a four-team, double-elimination regional, May 15-17.

Walter Nitardy Co-Coach of the Year - Thomas Seay, New Paltz
This is Thomas Seay's second SUNYAC Coach of the Year recognition in his eighth season as the head coach of the New Paltz Hawks. He led his team to their third straight SUNYAC baseball tournament appearance this season. Four student-athletes were named to the 2026 All-Conference team. This year, the team went 11-7 in conference play and 23-15 overall. 

Walt "Doc" Nitardy Coach of the Year - Walter Nitardy coached the Oswego baseball team to 503 career wins in his 29 seasons. Along with being named SUNYAC Coach of the Year seven times, Nitardy compiled nine conference titles and was named the 1966 NCAA College Division East Coast Coach of the Year.

2026 SUNYAC Baseball All-Conference Teams (PDF)