WORCESTER -- WPI seniors Jeffrey Brennan (Amsterdam, NY) and Everett Wonson (Wenham, MA) and juniors Jacob Hand (Niskayuna, NY) and Noah Pins (Holden, MA) have garnered College Sports Communicators Baseball Academic All-District accolades. The foursome all received the honor for the first time and are now under consideration for Academic All-America recognition.
The CSC Academic All-America program replaces the former CoSIDA Academic All-America program after CoSIDA recently rebranded its organization as "College Sports Communicators."
Brennan showcased versatility by playing both third and second base throughout the 2023 campaign for WPI. Brennan led the squad in plate appearances (138) ranking fourth in the conference with 54 hits and 11 doubles on top of logging 37 runs scored, two triples (2nd in NEWMAC), three home runs, 31 RBI (8th in NEWMAC) and 15 stolen bases. At the plate, Brennan ranked in the top-10 among the conference with a .391 batting average (3rd), .465 on-base percentage (7th), and a .565 slugging percentage (6th). The senior infielder was named the league's Athlete of the Week in mid-March.
The three-time NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honoree possesses a 3.92 grade-point average as he closed out his undergraduate career this spring in mechanical engineering.
Wonson, a member of the WPI pitching staff, was the weekend starter that clocked in 46 2/3 innings pitched and recorded 49 strikeouts and a 4.05 ERA with five scoreless innings against Ursinus with eight strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Wonson posted nine strikeouts with just a single earned run yielded in 5 2/3 innings in a win over Saint Joseph's College (ME).
The senior pitcher is a three-time NEWMAC Academic All-Conference squad selection and logs a 3.57 GPA in mechanical engineering.
Hand, a two-time All-NEWMAC shortstop and 2022 All-Region honoree posted slash lines in the top-10 among the conference with a .386 batting average (8th), .509 on-base percentage (2nd) and .591 slugging percentage (7th). Additionally, the junior infielder cracked the top-10 with 39 runs (8th), 15 doubles (2nd) and 19 stolen bases (5th) tacking on 41 hits, four home runs and 16 RBI.
The 2022 All-Region shortstop is an electrical and computer engineering and computer science double major is a two-time Academic All-NEWMAC selection and sports a 3.74 grade-point average.
On the mound, Pins served as the Engineers' top late-inning reliever in 2022 and 2023 stints leading WPI with a trio of saves ranking third in the NEWMAC. The junior reliever amassed 15 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings with a 10.13 strikeouts-per-nine innings average and a 2.70 ERA this season.
Pins is a two-time NEWMAC Academic All-Conference awardee and holds a 3.91 grade-point average in mathematical sciences with a minor in physics.
To be eligible for all-academic honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or a key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot.
The Engineers posted 16-22 overall record with a 5-12 mark against NEWMAC foes this spring under first-year head coach Brendan Casey.