NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport senior outfielder
Jake Benedict (Glastonbury, Conn.) has been named a Third Team Preseason All-American by D3baseball.com and becomes just the sixth player in program history to garner the distinguished recognition.
Benedict is just the third outfielder, joining Trey Hicks (2020) and Connor Madden (2012), to be named a D3baseball.com Preseason All-American since the award originated in 2008. The exclusive list of Captains also includes Seth Woodard (2019), Matt Shoemaker (2012), and Trae Bailey (2009).
Last season, Benedict had a breakout junior campaign that saw him register a torrid pace throughout the season from the leadoff spot. He started all 39 games for the Captains and ranked in the top-150 of Division III batters with a .395 average, ranking second in the conference behind only his teammate
Aaron Maxie (.411). Benedict scored 51 runs, leading the Captains with the most runs by a CNU player since Woodard scored 64 in 2019. He also led the team in slugging, at .599, as he delivered a team-high 13 doubles, two triples, and five home runs.
The second team All-Region performance was also good enough for first team All-Conference and first team All-State plaudits. He terrorized the basepaths with 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts and became only the third CNU player to steal 18 bags in a season since 2013.
In the outfield, the sure-handed center fielder had a .977 fielding percentage with just two errors in 87 total chances. He has committed just six errors over 226 career chances for a .975 fielding percentage. Over the course of his career, Benedict has started 102 games while appearing in 106. He enters his senior campaign with a .334 career average with 128 career hits in 383 at-bats. He has scored 100 career runs with 62 RBI.
Benedict is the lone representative from the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference to earn Preseason All-America honors in 2026. Christopher Newport will open the season on February 10 against Eastern Mennonite University with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Captains Field.
All-Time Preseason All-Americans - D3baseball.com
2026 - Jacob Benedict (OF) -- Third Team
2020 - Trey Hicks (OF) -- Honorable Mention
2019 - Seth Woodard (3B) -- Second Team
2012 - Connor Madden (OF) -- First Team
2012 - Matt Shoemaker (2B) -- Second Team
2009 - Trae Bailey (SS) -- Honorable Mention
2026 D3baseball.com Preseaosn All-Americans
First team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| C |
Aaron Holland |
UW-Whitewater |
Jr. |
Wheaton, Ill. |
| 1B |
Liam Daly |
Purchase |
Sr. |
Babylon, N.Y. |
| 2B |
Jack Gold |
Pomona-Pitzer |
Jr. |
Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. |
| 3B |
Aidan Conley |
Emory |
Jr. |
Nashville, Tenn. |
| SS |
Jackson Sgro |
Haverford |
So. |
Hopewell, N.J. |
| OF |
James Domer |
Pitt-Greensburg |
Sr. |
Connellsville, Pa. |
| OF |
Jaime Padilla |
Shenandoah |
Sr. |
Yonkers, N.Y. |
| OF |
Erik Sundgren |
Denison |
Sr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| DH |
Joel Kennedy |
Manchester |
Sr. |
Mooreland, Ind. |
| UTL |
Ben Prather |
Centre |
Sr. |
Lexington, Ky. |
| SP |
Ryan Greifelt |
Webster |
Jr. |
Chicago, Ill. |
| SP |
Brit Kostura |
Baldwin Wallace |
Sr. |
Tequesta, Fla. |
| SP |
Evan Scully |
Endicott |
Sr. |
Holbrook, N.Y. |
| SP |
Austin Ziance |
Marietta |
Jr. |
Highland Heights, Ohio |
| RP |
Liam Stewart |
Shenandoah |
So. |
Chesterfield, Va. |
Second team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| C |
Nic Frink |
St. Joseph's (Maine) |
So. |
Scarborough, Maine |
| 1B |
Alex Henderson |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps |
Jr. |
Mercer Island, Wash. |
| 2B |
Andy Thies |
UW-Whitewater |
Sr. |
Tallahassee, Fla. |
| 3B |
Riley Bender |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Sr. |
Kingwood, Texas |
| SS |
Evan Sykes |
Greensboro |
Sr. |
Graham, N.C. |
| OF |
Brayden Kohls |
Gustavus Adolphus |
Jr. |
Norwood, Minn. |
| OF |
Kosta Mocklis |
New York University |
Sr. |
Kittery, Maine |
| OF |
Blaine Waltimyer |
Penn State-Harrisburg |
Sr. |
Pottstown, Pa. |
| DH |
Zack Chadwell |
Bridgewater (Va.) |
Sr. |
Chesapeake, Va. |
| UTL |
Zander Teator |
Babson |
Sr. |
Fairfield, Conn. |
| SP |
Zach Coluccio |
Rowan |
Sr. |
Erial, N.J. |
| SP |
Conner Hogan |
Aurora |
Jr. |
Shorewood, Ill. |
| SP |
Carter Hunt |
Webster |
Sr. |
Saratoga Springs, N.Y. |
| SP |
Tyler Kaltreider |
Lynchburg |
Sr. |
Warrenton, Va. |
| RP |
Jason Basilicata |
Kean |
Jr. |
Bayville, N.J. |
Third team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| C |
Hank Penders |
Eastern Connecticut |
Sr. |
Wethersfield, Conn. |
| 1B |
Ryar Rinehart |
Kalamazoo |
Sr. |
Rockford, Mich. |
| 2B |
Nick Stavros |
Bridgewater (Va.) |
Sr. |
Stony Point, N.Y. |
| 3B |
Rylan Smith |
Guilford |
Sr. |
Archdale, N.C. |
| SS |
Ryan Vosika |
La Verne |
Sr. |
Corona, Calif. |
| OF |
Jake Benedict |
Christopher Newport |
Sr. |
Glastonbury, Conn. |
| OF |
Richie Heyder |
Farmingdale State |
Sr. |
Holbrook, N.Y. |
| OF |
Zac Stawski |
Anderson |
Jr. |
Granger, Ind. |
| DH |
Brandon Nelson |
Trinity (Texas) |
Sr. |
Missouri City, Texas |
| UTL |
Will Schnepf |
Carleton |
Sr. |
Dallas, Texas |
| SP |
Kyle Carozza |
Salve Regina |
Sr. |
Fairfield, Conn. |
| SP |
Nick Ferraioli |
Alvernia |
Sr. |
Marlboro, N.J. |
| SP |
AJ Levandoski |
Wilkes |
So. |
Scranton, Pa. |
| SP |
Jack Walsh |
Coe |
Jr. |
Dubuque, Iowa |
| RP |
Grant Meert |
Johns Hopkins |
Jr. |
Ballwin, Mo. |
