NAPERVILLE — Student-athletes from six College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) institutions earned 2026 All-Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings and D3baseball.com, the organizations announced this week.
 
Millikin, which won the CCIW regular-season and tournament championships, placed four student-athletes on the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region 8 teams after finishing the season with a 35-10 record. Sophomore pitcher Caleb Akins earned First Team honors after posting a 10-2 record with a 2.63 earned run average. Pete Britton, Brayden Saling and Gavin Houchins were selected to the Second Team. Saling completed his freshman season with a 10-0 record, while Houchins established a Millikin single-season record with nine saves.
 
Carthage freshman shortstop Michael Ossenfort was selected to the First Team by both organizations. The CCIW Student-Athlete of the Year and First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year batted .433 with 13 home runs and 46 runs batted in during his first collegiate season.
 
North Central had four student-athletes recognized, including junior second baseman Jackson Bland, who was named to the First Team by both the ABCA and D3baseball.com. Bland recorded a 1.152 OPS and finished with seven triples, a total that ranked fifth nationally. Payton Diaz earned First Team honors from D3baseball.com and Third Team recognition from the ABCA as a utility player. Parker Wyatt was selected to the D3baseball.com Second Team and ABCA Third Team, while Caleb Coberley was named to the D3baseball.com Second Team after leading the Cardinals with a .401 batting average.
 
North Park was represented by Ethan Condit and Taylor Joseph. Condit, a senior closer, earned ABCA First Team honors after becoming the program’s career and single-season saves leader. Joseph was selected to the ABCA Second Team and D3baseball.com Third Team following a sophomore season in which he batted .404 and recorded a cycle against Carthage.
 
Illinois Wesleyan had two first-time All-Region honorees. Junior outfielder Jack Novak was named to the D3baseball.com First Team and ABCA Second Team after leading the Titans with a .473 batting average. Sophomore shortstop AJ Weller earned ABCA Third Team recognition after finishing as the team leader in hits with 66 and triples with six.
 
Augustana was represented on the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region 8 teams by senior pitcher Blake Nettleton and sophomore outfielder Riley Hendren. Nettleton was selected to the First Team, while Hendren received Third Team honors.
 
Akins, Bland, Condit, Nettleton and Ossenfort will advance to consideration for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors as First Team All-Region selections. The ABCA/Rawlings All-America teams are scheduled to be announced Thursday, May 28.
 
CCIW 2026 All-Region Honorees
ABCA/Rawlings All-Region 8
First Team: Caleb Akins (Millikin), Jackson Bland (North Central), Ethan Condit (North Park), Blake Nettleton (Augustana), Michael Ossenfort (Carthage)
 
Second Team: Pete Britton (Millikin), Gavin Houchins (Millikin), Taylor Joseph (North Park), Jack Novak (Illinois Wesleyan), Brayden Saling (Millikin)
 
Third Team: Payton Diaz (North Central), Riley Hendren (Augustana), AJ Weller (Illinois Wesleyan), Parker Wyatt (North Central)
 
D3baseball.com All-Region 8
First Team: Jackson Bland (North Central), Payton Diaz (North Central), Jack Novak (Illinois Wesleyan), Michael Ossenfort (Carthage)
 
Second Team: Caleb Coberley (North Central), Parker Wyatt (North Central)
 
Third Team: Taylor Joseph (North Park)