2026 CSC Academic All-District Baseball Teams

The Hillsdale College baseball team advanced to the final four of the G-MAC Tournament for the second-straight season in 2026, and that success didn't come at the expense of academics, either.

The Chargers posted one of their best seasons in the classroom as well as reaching the G-MAC Tourney, a performance reflected by the maximum of five players from Hillsdale earning Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators. In order to be considered for CSC Academic All-District honors, an athlete must be either a starter or a meaningful contributor, and carry a 3.5 or better cumulative GPA. Select Academic All-District honorees are entered into consideration to receive prestigious Academic All-American honors from CSC later in June, as voted on and selected by a panel of institution SIDs at the NCAA DII level.

Among the five honored players, junior third baseman Rocco Tenuta is a repeat honoree, having also received Academic All-District distinction as a sophomore in 2025. A key player at the hot corner for the Chargers, Tenuta led Hillsdale in home runs (six ) and RBIs (41) while batting .298 at the plate and helping Hillsdale set a new record for fielding percentage defensively in 2026.

Tenuta's partner on the left side of the infield also earned Academic All-District honors, as junior shortstop Aaron Jasiak also brought home recognition. An important part of Hillsdale's excellent infield defense, Jasiak also produced at the plate, hitting .285 with 32 RBIs and tying for the team lead in doubles (13) and stolen bases (16).

Sophomore centerfielder Gaard Swenson also earned Academic All-District honors, pairing with first team All-G-MAC honors in a stellar second campaign at Hillsdale. Arguably the Chargers' best all-around hitter, Swenson led Hillsdale in batting average (.365), slugging percentage (.526) and on-base percentage (.436) as well as stolen bases (16) while batting leadoff for Hillsdale, with 11 doubles, four triples and five home runs, as well as 35 RBIs. He also was one of the top defensive centerfielders in the Midwest, with a .991 fielding percentage.

Two Hillsdale pitchers also earned Academic All-District honors, starting with sophomore closer Josh Novak. After missing almost the entirety of two seasons with Hillsdale due to injuries, Novak broke out in a huge way for Hillsdale in 2026, locking down the closer job and posting the team's best ERA (2.49) with six saves, tied for the fourth-most in a single season in program history.

Fellow sophomore Brenden Smith also was named Academic All-District after an impressive second campaign for the Chargers, as Smith ascended into the starting rotation for Hillsdale and became a reliable presence on the mound, finishing with four wins, a 4.29 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 11 starts.

Most exciting for Hillsdale, all five players are slated to return in 2027 as the Chargers look to keep building their way into G-MAC title contention with a veteran squad.