ROCK HILL, S.C. -- The Winthrop University baseball team had five athletes named to the Big South Conference Baseball All-Conference teams, the conference office announced on Tuesday afternoon. 

Brayden Gilley, Jaylen Hernandez, and Corey Wouters were all named to First Team All-Conference, with Harrison Wilson earning a spot on the Second Team All-Conference. Alan Benhardt garnered a position on the Honorable Mention All-Conference squad, alongside a nod to the All-Academic team. 

Brayden Gilley cemented himself during the 2025-26 campaign, logging 76.2 innings across 14 starts while posting a 4.46 ERA and finishing with a 7-5 record. Gilley set the tone early. In the season opener against Radford on March 13, he delivered eight innings of work, helping the Eagles hold on for a 10-9 victory in 14 innings. That durability would become a calling card throughout the year. The right-hander rattled off back-to-back dominant outings in late February and late March, shutting out Morehead State and Charleston Southern across six innings each without surrendering a run. He was equally sharp against Presbyterian on April 10, tossing 6.1 innings and scattering just two earned runs while striking out eight, one of his best strikeout totals of the season. Through 76.2 innings, he struck out 58 batters and walked just 24. 

Jaylen Hernandez slashed .312/.455/.603 across 55 games in 2025-26, finishing with 15 home runs, 44 RBI and 43 runs scored. Hernandez was one of the most difficult outs in the lineup all season. He drew 28 walks and was hit by a pitch 23 times, pushing his on-base percentage to .455, also adding 10 stolen bases. He drove in four runs against Maine on February 27 going 3-for-4 with a home run and followed that with multi-RBI performances against Morehead State and Princeton in the weeks after. Hernandez homered in three straight games against Maine in late February and early March, did it again in three straight against Charleston Southern in late March, and again in three straight against USC Upstate in April. He had at least one RBI in the majority of his appearances throughout the year. His .603 slugging percentage was backed by 10 doubles and 114 total bases across 189 at-bats. 

Corey Wouters slashed .335/.399/.485 across 53 games in 2025-26, finishing with 67 hits, 34 RBI and 28 runs scored in his first season with Winthrop. Wouters was one of the most consistent contact hitters in the lineup all season. He recorded a hit in 41 of his 53 appearances, going without one just 12 times the entire year. His 16 doubles was tied for the team's lead in extra-base production. He added four home runs and a triple to finish with 97 total bases and struck out just 25 times in 200 at-bats. Some of his best individual games came in bunches. He went 3-for-5 with three RBI against Morehead State, 3-for-5 with two RBI against Sacramento State and matched that output with another three-hit effort against Charleston Southern in late March. He also drove in four runs against Charleston Southern on March 29 in a 5-4 extra-inning win. Wouters posted a .399 on-base percentage behind 21 walks and put together a season that established him as a reliable everyday bat. 

Harrison Wilson stepped fully into a pitching role for the first time in his career in 2026. Coming off years as a two-way player, Wilson finished the season with a 4-1 record, a 4.53 ERA, six saves and 38 strikeouts across 23 appearances and 45.2 innings out of the bullpen. In his first outing of the season against Georgetown on February 13, Wilson threw four innings, allowed just one earned run and struck out five, picking up a save in a 13-2 Winthrop win. His six saves led the Eagles on the year. He closed out wins against Maine, Sacramento State, Charleston Southern twice, USC Upstate and UNC Asheville, often throwing multiple innings rather than just coming in for a single out. On February 27 against Maine, he threw three scoreless innings and did not allow a hit. Wilson walked just eight batters in 45.2 innings, one of the better walk rates on the entire staff. 

Alan Benhardt led Winthrop in RBIs in 2026, driving in 49 runs across 55 games while slashing .327/.419/.441 in his final season with the Eagles. Benhardt hit just two home runs all season but still finished with 49 RBI, adding seven sacrifice flies along the way. He struck out just 24 times in 202 at-bats and reached base via walk or hit by pitch on 37 occasions, finishing with a .419 on-base percentage. He also stole 11 bases. His best individual outings came against quality competition. He went 4-for-4 against Gardner-Webb on April 25 and followed that with a 4-for-5 performance against South Carolina on May 12. He also posted multiple three-hit games against Pacific, Elon and Longwood, and scored five runs in the May 15 win over Longwood. Benhardt's 66 hits included 15 doubles and one triple, and his 24 strikeouts in 202 at-bats stood as one of the better contact rates on the roster all season. 

The full Big South All-Conference teams are listed below:

2026 BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OF – Kelvin Agosto, Gardner-Webb
OF – Jaylen Hernandez, Winthrop
OF – Blaize Johnson, UNC Asheville
OF – Kain Collins, Charleston Southern
INF – Landen Johnson, High Point
INF – Blake Edgmon, Charleston Southern
INF – Nathan Martinez, Charleston Southern
INF – Frank Kelly, High Point
C – Seojun Oh, High Point
UTL – Alex Marot, Charleston Southern
DH – Corey Wouters, Winthrop
SP – Ty Brachbill, High Point
SP – Jaxon Lloyd, Longwood
SP – Brayden Gilley, Winthrop
RP – JR Fordham, Longwood
RP – Trey Ludy, Radford

SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OF – Henry Zenor, USC Upstate
OF – Lane Allen, High Point
OF – Jake McCarter, High Point
INF – Willie Ponce, High Point
INF – Junho Son, Radford
INF – Bo Moody, Presbyterian
INF – Matthew Rollison, Presbyterian
C – Tyler Lang, USC Upstate
UTL – Merik Carter, Gardner-Webb
DH – Johnny Sweeney, USC Upstate
SP – Tyrell Williams, Presbyterian
SP – Raymond Ladd, Radford
SP – Matt Gallant, Charleston Southern
RP – Harrison Wilson, Winthrop
RP – Dylan Story, High Point

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE
Breckin Nace, INF, Radford
Lucas Pringle, C, Charleston Southern
Alan Benhardt, INF, Winthrop
Wylie Waters, INF, USC Upstate
Tyler Shafer, RP, High Point

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Bo Moody, INF, Presbyterian
Caden Wolfley, OF, Charleston Southern
Ben Pulliam, OF, Longwood
Colby Putnam, P, Gardner-Webb
Brady Hoover, P, Longwood
Trey Bentley, OF, USC Upstate
Ben Green, UTL, UNC Asheville

ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Lucas Pringle, Charleston Southern
Kelvin Agosto, Gardner-Webb
Jake McCarter, High Point
Tré Keels, Longwood
Amman Dewberry, Presbyterian
Brady Whitacre, Radford
Lucas Boesen, UNC Asheville
Tyler Lang, USC Upstate
Alan Benhardt, Winthrop

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Seojun Oh, C, High Point
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Ty Brachbill, High Point
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Seojun Oh, C, High Point
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Bo Moody, INF, Presbyterian
COACH OF THE YEAR
Joey Hammond, High Point
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Jake McCarter, High Point