Louisiana Places Six On All-Sun Belt Conference Team

NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana placed a total of six players on the 2026 All-Sun Belt Conference Baseball team, including a league-high four members on the inaugural All-Freshman squad, the league office announced on Monday.

Pitchers Cody Brasch and Andrew Herrmann, along with freshman catcher Colt Brown were second-team selections in voting by the league's 14 head coaches. Brown was joined on the All-Freshman squad by pitcher Sawyer Pruitt, shortstop Blaze Rodriguez and outfielder Noah Lewis.

Brasch led the Sun Belt Conference in five categories: ERA (2.24), opponent batting average (.182), fewest hits allowed (41), runs allowed (16) and earned runs allowed (16) during the regular season.

The junior posted a 5-2 record on the mound with four straight quality starts to close out the regular season and was tied for fourth in the league in saves (5) and ninth in strikeouts (74).

Herrmann made his second appearance on the All-SBC team after earning honors in 2024. The southpaw finished tied for the team lead with six wins.

The Kennesaw, Ga., native tied for the national lead in complete games (4) and ranked among the national leaders in games started (15). Herrmann was ninth in the SBC in earned run average (4.08), third in strikeouts (94), fourth in opponent batting average (.219) and fourth in innings pitched (92.2). He recorded seven quality starts on the season highlighted by a complete-game, one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts against UC San Diego – the first by a UL pitcher since 2016.

Brown finished as the team leader in average (.312) and hits (58) as a true freshman while finishing tied for the team lead in doubles (13). The Seguin, Texas native was second in slugging percentage (.473), RBI (42) and total bases (88) and was tied for second on the team in home runs (5) while starting in 53 of 55 games behind the plate.

Rodriguez ranked as one of the top fielders in the league at his position, posting a .970 fielding percentage in 235 chances. Rodriguez, who hit .238 with 16 RBI and 15 stolen bases, formed a strong middle infield duo with Rigoberto Hernandez to help Louisiana post a team .980 fielding percentage during the regular season – the second-highest in school history.

He recorded Louisiana's lone five-hit game of the season, going 5-for-7 with a walk-off single in the 15th inning to complete a three-game sweep of Big 10 opponent Maryland. Rodriguez contributed to a pair of walk-off wins against the Terrapins with walk in the ninth inning of a 7-6 victory

Rodriguez opened the final series against No. 20 Coastal Carolina with 2-for-4 performance with three runs scored in a 7-2 win. The Slidell, La., native did not commit an error in the final 15 games of the regular season (68 chances).

Lewis, a Baton Rouge native and Catholic High product, finished third on the team in hitting (.298) during the regular season and was third on the team in stolen bases (14). He posted a four-game stretch, which included the opening two games of the Georgia State series, where he was 9-for-15 with a homer, seven RBI, and seven runs scored.

He went 4-for-6 – the only four-hit game by a Ragin' Cajun during the regular season – with a pair of runs scored against Arkansas State.

Pruitt, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, finished tied for the team lead with six wins on the season and finished with a 4.66 earned run average in 20 appearances. The former Live Oak product was fourth in innings pitched (63.2) as a true freshman and finished fourth on the team in strikeouts (69).

He earned the win in his first career start, combining with five relievers on a five-hit, 3-0 shutout at Rice. Pruitt notched a quality start against Kansas State with 6.0 innings and fanned nine in a victory and tossed the final 4.0 innings, allowing a pair of hits and striking out four, to record his lone save of the season against reigning national champion LSU.

Louisiana (34-21), the No. 7 seed, opens play on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament against No. 10-seeded Marshall at DABOS Park in Montgomery, Ala.

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2026 ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM
Player of the Year
Jimmy Janicki, Troy (So., C – Downers Grove, Ill.)

Pitcher of the Year
Grayden Harris, Southern Miss (So., LHP – Central, La.)

Newcomer of the Year
Gage Peterson, App State (Jr., RHP – Jonesborough, Tenn.)

Freshman of the Year
Brady Christman, Georgia Southern (Fr., C/OF – Forsyth, Ga.)

Tony Robichaux Leadership Award
Bryce Blevins, Marshall (Sr., LHP – Louisa, Ky.)

Ron Maestri Coach of the Year
Christian Ostrander, Southern Miss

All-Sun Belt First Team
P Gage Peterson, App State (Jr., RHP – Jonesborough, Tenn.)
P Camden Clark, Southern Miss (So., RHP – Laurel, Miss.)
P Grayden Harris, Southern Miss (So., LHP – Central, La.)
RP Darin Horn, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., RHP – Bluffton, S.C.)
C Jimmy Janicki, Troy (So., C – Downers Grove, Ill.)
1B Matthew Russo, Southern Miss (Sr., 1B – Madisonville, La.)
2B Kyle Morrison, Southern Miss (Sr., 2B – Wetumpka, Ala.)
SS Steven Smith, App State (Gr., SS – Salisbury, N.C.)
3B Wills Maginnis, Georgia State (So., 3B – Newnan, Ga.)
OF Evan Bottone, Marshall (Jr., OF – Bay Village, Ohio)
OF Davis Gillespie, Southern Miss (RS Jr., OF – Birmingham, Ala.)
OF Aaron Piasecki, Troy (Sr., OF – Muskegon, Mich.)
DH Brady Christman, Georgia Southern (Fr., DH – Forsyth, Ga.)
UT Drew Nelson, Troy (Sr., UT – Troy, Ala.)

All-Sun Belt Second Team
P Cody Brasch, Louisiana (Jr., RHP – Haslet, Texas)
P Andrew Herrmann, Louisiana (Gr., LHP – Kennesaw, Ga.)
P Bryce Blevins, Marshall (Sr., LHP – Louisa, Ky.)
RP Colby Allen, Southern Miss (Sr., RHP – Louisville, Miss.)
C Colt Brown, Louisiana (Fr., C – Seguin, Texas)
1B Derek Martinez, Arkansas State (Fr., 1B – Clermont, Fla.)
2B Brennon Wright, South Alabama (Jr., 2B – Starkville, Miss.)
SS Will Johnson, Old Dominion (Jr., SS – Allen, Texas)
3B Stewart Puckett, South Alabama (RS Jr., 3B – DeLeon Springs, Fla.)
OF Charlie Evans, App State (Sr., OF – Levittown, Pa.)
OF Rex Watson, Coastal Carolina (So., OF – Manteca, Calif.)
OF Rashawn Galloway, Texas State (Sr., OF – Boerne, Texas)
DH Manny Salas, Texas State (Jr., DH – North Richland Hills, Texas)
UT Jaquae Stewart, Texas State (Jr., UT – Sinton, Texas)

All-Sun Belt Freshman Team
Colton Denton, App State (Fr., C – Knoxville, Tenn.)
Derek Martinez, Arkansas State (Fr., 1B – Clermont, Fla.)
Case Bosch, Coastal Carolina (Fr., LHP – Jenison, Mich.)
Jackson Smallets, Coastal Carolina (Fr., RHP – Sicklerville, N.J.)
Brady Christman, Georgia Southern (Fr., C/OF – Forsyth, Ga.)
Bennett Edwards, Georgia Southern (Fr., C/OF – Laurens, S.C.)
Colt Brown, Louisiana (Fr., C – Seguin, Texas)
Noah Lewis, Louisiana (Fr., OF – Baton Rouge, La.)
Sawyer Pruitt, Louisiana (Fr., RHP – Watson, La.)
Blaze Rodriguez, Louisiana (Fr., SS – Slidell, La.)
Garett Wiethorn, ULM (Fr., OF – McGregor, Texas)
Ben Tanton, Old Dominion (Fr., RHP – Vestal, N.Y.)
Jackson Cotton, Texas State (Fr., OF – Missouri City, Texas)
Clayton Namken, Texas State (Fr., C – New Braunfels, Texas)

Louisiana Places Six On All-Sun Belt Conference Team

Players Mentioned

Cody Brasch

Colt Brown

Rigoberto Hernandez

Andrew Herrmann

Noah Lewis

Sawyer Pruitt

Blaze Rodriguez

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