Five members of the Case Western Reserve University baseball team - junior pitcher Zach Barnes, senior pitcher Archer Stankowski, junior utility player Tyler Stillson, senior outfielder Matt Trout, and graduate student infielder Eli Westrick - were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team for their achievements both on the field and in the classroom during the 2026 season.
The Academic All-District Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Players honored were selected by their school's Sports Information Directors and must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average. Schools are allowed a maximum of five nominations.
It was the second-straight Academic All-District honor for Stillson, who went on to be named to the Academic All-America Second Team last year. Westrick claimed the honor for a third time over his career, after receiving the award twice during his undergraduate career at the College of Wooster. Barnes, Stankowski, and Trout each earned the first Academic All-District honor of their respective careers.
Stillson was selected to advance to the ballot for the 2026 Academic All-America Team, which will be released on Tuesday, June 23.
Barnes, a mechanical engineering major, has a 3.926 cumulative grade point average at CWRU and has twice received University Athletic Association Spring All-Academic recognition. He made 13 appearances on the mound during the season, finishing with a 3-2 record with one save and a 4.29 ERA, while striking out 31 batters in 35.2 innings and holding opponents to a .265 average. He made his first start of his career on April 26 against 14th-ranked WashU and picked up the win with five innings of work, allowing one run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Stankowski made 11 appearances, including seven starts, during his senior year, and finished the campaign with a 3-1 record and a 6.26 ERA. He notched 30 strikeouts in his 41.2 innings on the hill and allowed a .311 opponents' batting average. He graduated as a biomedical engineering major and recorded a 3.508 cumulative GPA at CWRU, while claiming three UAA All-Academic honors during his career.
Stillson was a factor both on the mound and at the plate for the Spartans during his junior campaign, seeing time as a starting pitcher, playing first base, left field, and serving as the designated hitter for CWRU, en route to earning a spot on the All-UAA Second Team. He started each of the team's games and finished the season leading all qualifying players on the team with a .315 (47-149) batting average, a .456 slugging percentage, and a .406 on-base percentage for a .862 OPS. He added 26 runs, nine doubles, three triples, two home runs, and 24 RBIs, while stealing four bases on five attempts. Stillson also started 11 games on the mound, going 4-4 with a 5.31 ERA and striking out 76 batters in 62.2 innings, the fourth-most in a campaign in the program's history. Stillson has a perfect 4.0 GPA as a mechanical engineering major and is a two-time UAA All-Academic honoree.
Trout graduated in May from CWRU with a degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering and a 3.504 cumulative grade point average. He was one of the team's top hitters during the year, playing in 36 games and starting 34 in the outfield, while batting .302 with a .496 slugging percentage and a .352 on-base percentage. He scored 24 runs during the campaign with nine doubles, five triples, two home runs, and 27 runs batted in, with nine stolen bases. Trout is a two-time UAA All-Academic honoree.
Westrick completed his first year as a graduate student at CWRU, working toward his degree in data science, and has a 3.90 grade point average at the school after recording a 3.63 GPA as an undergraduate at Wooster. He saw time at first base, designated hitter, second base, and in the outfield for the Spartans during the 2026 campaign, starting 30 games and playing in 34 total. Westrick finished the season hitting .304 with a .416 slugging percentage and a .374 on-base percentage. He totaled 25 runs scored, eight doubles, three triples, 16 runs batted in, and six stolen bases.
The Spartans finished their 2026 season with a 20-19 overall record, marking the team's 17th-consecutive season with a .500 or better winning percentage. CWRU went 8-12 in UAA games, finishing fifth in the final league standings.
