(WIAC) – The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has announced its baseball awards for the 2026 season.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Anthony Massa collected Position Player of the Year honors, while UW-La Crosse’s AJ Curtis was tabbed Pitcher of the Year. UW-Platteville’s Brayden Knoll received Newcomer of the Year accolades and UW-Whitewater’s John Vodenlich secured Coach of the Year.
Massa is the second player in program history to collect the distinction, joining Jonathan Kelso (2021). Massa leads the WIAC with a .799 slugging percentage, 1.304 OPS, 71 hits, 58 RBI and 15 home runs, while ranking second with a .433 batting average, third with 54 runs scored and fourth with a .505 on-base percentage. He had a 19-game hitting streak to start the season and produced a season-high four hits against Illinois College on March 20 and Edgewood University (Wis.) on May 4.
Curtis is the sixth Eagle to receive the honor, joining Joe Ohm (1997), Andy Elskamp (2000), Caleb Boushley (2016), Zach Pronschinske (2019) and Isaiah Katz (2023). Curtis was an All-WIAC honorable mention pick a season ago and the Newcomer of the Year. He leads the conference with 66.1 innings pitched, while ranking third with 59 strikeouts, tied for fourth with a 3.53 earned run average and tied for fifth with five wins. Curtis had a season-best eight strikeouts against UW-River Falls on March 29 and UW-Stout on April 11.
Knoll is the first Pioneer to receive the Newcomer award. He is tied for fourth in the WIAC with 10 home runs, seventh with a .619 slugging percentage, eighth with a .361 batting average and 1.033 OPS, and tied for eighth with 56 hits.
UW-Whitewater’s Leyten Bowers (with UW-Stout) and Aaron Holland were repeat selections on the first team from a year ago, while the Warhawks’ Andy Thies secured first team laurels in 2024.
Vodenlich secured the award for a conference record 13th time. He has led the Warhawks to a 41-4 record, including a 28-0 mark in WIAC games. UW-Whitewater put together a 36-game winning streak this season – the longest in WIAC archives. The Warhawks also claimed the conference regular-season championship and tournament title.
An All-Sportsmanship Team was named for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each team as selected by that team.
2026 All-WIAC Baseball Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Leyten Bowers, Whitewater, Senior, Firstbase, Mineral Point, Wis. (Mineral Point)
Chris Calico, La Crosse, Junior, Centerfield, West Salem, Wis. (West Salem)
AJ Curtis, La Crosse, Sophomore, Pitcher, Waukesha, Wis. (Waukesha North)
Owen Deprez, La Crosse, Senior, Pitcher, New Franken, Wis. (Luxemburg-Casco)
Tommy Drohner, Stevens Point, Junior, Outfield, Plover, Wis. (SPASH)
Bryce Ehr, Stevens Point, Senior, Pitcher, Plover, Wis. (SPASH)
Aaron Holland, Whitewater, Junior, Catcher, Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton North)
Tanner Hraby, River Falls, Sophomore, Infield, Medford, Wis. (Medford)
Jackson Koenig, Whitewater, Junior, Pitcher, Blaine, Minn. (Blaine)
Ben Lee, Whitewater, Junior, Pitcher, Amherst, Wis. (Amherst)
Anthony Massa, Platteville, Sophomore, Thirdbase, Manhattan, Ill. (Lincoln-Way West)
Nicholas Meuser, Eau Claire, Junior, Pitcher, Burnsville, Minn. (Burnsville)
Braylen Nystrom, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Outfield, Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH)
Kamden Oliver, Stevens Point, Senior, Infield, Viroqua, Wis. (Viroqua)
Evan Olson, Whitewater, Sophomore, Outfield, Kimberly, Wis. (Kimberly)
Logan Schill, Oshkosh, Junior, Outfield, Pewaukee, Wis. (Pewaukee)
Jackson Spring, Whitewater, Sophomore, Shortstop, St. Charles, Ill. (St. Charles North)
Sam Steuber, Whitewater, Junior, Pitcher, Muskego, Wis. (Muskego)
Gradin Taschner, Whitewater, Junior, Pitcher, Neenah, Wis. (Neenah)
Andy Thies, Whitewater, Senior, Secondbase, Tallahassee, Fla. (Tallahassee Lawton Chiles)
Honorable Mention
Baris Brua, Oshkosh, Freshman, Pitcher, Mundelein, Ill. (Mundelein)
Austin Buck, Eau Claire, Senior, Secondbase, Afton, Minn. (Stillwater)
Brady Burrill, La Crosse, Junior, Rightfield, Oconomowoc, Wis. (Oconomowoc)
Sebastian De La Toba, Eau Claire, Senior, Pitcher, Chula Vista, Calif. (Olympian)
John DiGregorio, Eau Claire, Freshman, Catcher, Westfield, N.J. (Gill St. Bernard’s)
Keegan Fleischman, La Crosse, Junior, Shortstop, Lodi, Wis. (Lodi)
Shaun Gavin, River Falls, Sophomore, Pitcher, Oshkosh, Wis. (Oshkosh North)
Brett Gaynor, Oshkosh, Junior, Pitcher, Long Grove, Ill. (Stevenson)
Will Johnson, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Shortstop, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minneapolis Southwest)
Carver Kamentz, Platteville, Freshman, Pitcher, East Dubuque, Ill. (East Dubuque)
Franklin Kirchner, Whitewater, Junior, Pitcher, Elk Grove Village, Ill. (Conant)
Brayden Knoll, Platteville, Freshman, Centerfield, Byron, Ill. (Byron)
Max Krebs, River Falls, Junior, Infield, Inver Grove Heights, Minn. (Simley)
Dominik McVay, Whitewater, Centerfield, Outfield, Mineral Point, Wis. (Mineral Point)
Austin Olla, La Crosse, Sophomore, Pitcher, Milwaukee, Wis. (South Milwaukee)
Chayce Osterhaus, La Crosse, Junior, Pitcher, Dalton, Wis. (Markesan)
Ethan Pettis, La Crosse, Sophomore, Pitcher, Blaine, Minn. (Blaine)
Emiliano Ramos, La Crosse, Senior, Secondbase, Hartland, Wis. (Hartland Arrowhead)
Kenny Schultz, Stevens Point, Senior, Pitcher, Plover, Wis. (SPASH)
Brayden Skenandore, Oshkosh, Junior, Firstbase, De Pere, Wis. (West De Pere)
Kellen Smith, Eau Claire, Freshman, Centerfield, Altoona, Wis. (Altoona)
Luke Walton, La Crosse, Junior, Firstbase, Farmington, Minn. (Farmington)
All-Sportsmanship Team
Ryan Casimier, Eau Claire, Senior, Infield, Columbia, Tenn. (Battle Ground Academy)
Danny Hopper, Whitewater, Senior, Infield, Palatine, Ill. (Palatine)
AJ Kargel, Stout, Junior, Outfield, Otsego, Minn. (Otsego Kaleidoscope)
Jacob Melendrez, Platteville, Senior, Pitcher, Little Chute, Wis. (Little Chute)
Tino Ramirez, Stevens Point, Senior, Infield, Muskego, Wis. (Muskego)
Charley Rowan, La Crosse, Sophomore, Infield, Stillwater, Minn. (Stillwater)
Parker Thompson, Oshkosh, Senior, Pitcher, Wauwatosa, Wis. (Wauwatosa East)
Kaleb Zabielski, River Falls, Sophomore, Outfield/Pitcher, Burlington, Wis. (Burlington)
Position Player of the Year: Anthony Massa – Platteville
Pitcher of the Year: AJ Curtis – La Crosse
Newcomer of the Year: Brayden Knoll – Platteville
Coach of the Year: John Vodenlich – Whitewater
Max Sparger Scholar Athlete: Andy Thies – Whitewater
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