MEDFORD, MA (May 14, 2026) – The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) announced the 2026 All-Conference teams and awards.
Cole Donato was named Pitcher of the Year,
Malcolm Whitfield earned Defensive Player of the Year, and
Bryan Stark was selected as Coach of the Year. Along with Donato,
James Henshon,
Jack Kamin,
Emmet Christian, and
Derek Desmarais were placed on the All-NESCAC First team, while
Owen McKiernan earned Second Team honors.
Donato came into this season on a mission and is tied for the lead in the NESCAC with nine wins. The senior has been consistent all season with a conference best ERA of 2.15 in 67.0 innings pitched. The Walpole native is fourth in the conference in strikeouts with 57 and sits in second with 21 of those strikeouts being called. Donato is the ninth pitcher in the Jumbos history to be named as NESCAC Pitcher of the Year and is the first since 2021.
Whitfield takes home his second career NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year selection and becomes just the second student-athlete in conference history to earn the award twice in their collegiate career. The senior caught five runners stealing and in 275 fielding chances he only had one error on the season to capture a .996 fielding percentage which ranks eighth in the NESCAC. Whitfield also holds a .271 batting average with 24 RBI and leads the team with 20 stolen bases. This is the seventh all-time Defensive Player of the Year selection for the Tufts baseball program.
In his second year at the helm of this Jumbo squad,
Bryan Stark was named as NESCAC Coach of the Year after leading the crew to an 8-4 conference record and their first NESCAC title since 2023. The Jumbos earned an automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament after the conference title victory and will host a NCAA Regional round. Tufts enters the tournament with a 30-9 overall record and sits in eighth in the NPI rankings. Stark is the third Tufts baseball coach to be named as Coach of the Year.
Henshon earned his second consecutive all-conference selection after making the second team last season. Henshon had another superb year on both sides of the ball as he ranked fourth on the team with a .336 batting average and sits in second with 51 hits. The sophomore leads the conference in triples with nine and ranks sixth with a .592 slugging percentage. Henshon was perfect on the base paths as well converting all six stolen base attempts. In the title clinching win over Amherst, Henshon went 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBI, four runs scored, three walks, two RBI, and a double.
Kamin has been a top two batter in the NESCAC all season long as he sits in second with an eye popping .437 batting average in 142 at bats. The sophomore is second in the NESCAC with 62 hits and ranks third with 42 RBI. Kamin had 21 multi-hit games and sported a 19-game hit streak just before the conference tournament began. The Shrewsbury has a 1.082 OPS, which ranks sixth in the conference and has blasted four home runs, which ranks second on the Jumbos. Kamin's batting average has him ranked just inside the top 30 nationally.
Emmet Christian has added yet another solid sophomore presence for this squad as he earned his first career all-conference selection. Christian has been a top two starter for the Jumbos all season and would be a strong ace on most other teams. Christian ranks second on the Jumbos with seven wins and second in the conference with an opposing batting average of .221. The sophomore has an ERA of 2.93 which ranks fifth in the NESCAC and ranks third with two complete games. The North Carolina native leads the Jumbos and ranks third in the conference with 59 strikeouts compared to just 17 walks.
Derek Desmarais has been Tufts' shut down closer throughout the season as he leads the NESCAC with eight saves to earn his first team nod. The sophomore has a 3-2 record this season and is tied for the best WHIP with a .89 mark. Desmarais has made 18 relief appearances this season and ranks second amongst relievers with 30 strikeouts compared to just four walks. The Washing native fired the final two frames of the conference championship victory and allowed no runs and no hits, while striking out one and walking none to help Tufts grab the title.
McKiernan has been a key senior leader on this squad as the season has progressed as he ranks second on the Jumbos with a .359 batting average in 117 at bats. The senior sits in fourth on the team in hits with 42 and total bases with 62, while ranking third in doubles with nine. The Durham native has displayed some speed on the base paths as well this year as he has been caught stealing just once in 11 attempts. This is the first career all-conference selection for McKiernan.
The Jumbos will take on Mitchell College on Friday, May 15 in the opening game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament Regional at Sol Gittleman Park in Medford, MA.
--JUMBOS--
