WICHITA, Kan. -- Three Wichita State baseball players were named to the 2026 American Conference All-Conference teams, the league office announced Tuesday. Jayson Jones was named First Team third baseman and Newcomer Position Player of the Year, while right-handed pitchers Matthew Cuccias and Brady Pacha were named Second Team starting pitcher and relief pitcher, respectively.

Jones is the first Shocker to be named Newcomer Position Player of the Year since Brock Rodden in 2022.

Jones emerged as one of the conference's most feared hitters after transferring to Wichita State from Oklahoma State. He finished second in the league in home runs (14), fifth in batting average (.354), tied for fifth in RBI (52), eighth in slugging percentage (.591), and tenth in OPS (1.025). He led the Shockers with 25 multi-hit games, highlighted by a four-hit effort against Kansas State on April 7, and in multi-RBI games with 15. Jones also put together the seventh-longest hitting streak in program history with hits in 25 consecutive games from February 27-April 7.

Cuccias solidified the Wichita State weekend rotation as a linchpin in series openers. The physical right-hander posted a 3.09 ERA that ranks third in The American, thanks in large part to holding opposing hitters to a league-best .194 batting average. His 71 strikeouts lead the Shockers and finished fifth in the conference, including a season-best eight over 7.0 innings against Florida Atlantic on May 8. Cuccias did not allow more than six hits in any game this season and surrendered just three total home runs.

Pacha returned home for his final season of college baseball in 2026 and gave the Shockers a reliable option at the back end of the bullpen. He went 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA and six saves in the regular season, the latter figure good for third-most in The American. Pacha went a staggering 94 consecutive hitters without issuing a walk from March 13 through April 24 and is responsible for closing out 10 of Wichita State's 12 conference wins. He worked a season-high 4.0 innings to nail down a win over Charlotte on March 20 and struck out a season-high five hitters against Memphis on March 27.

The full All-Conference teams and superlatives are below:

Player of the Year
Drew Detlefsen, Sr., OF, UTSA
 
Pitcher of the Year
Conor Myles, Grad, LHP, UTSA*
 
Newcomer Position Player of the Year
Jayson Jones, Sr., INF, Wichita State
 
Newcomer Pitcher of the Year
Tanner Wiggins, R-So., RHP, Rice
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Jevin Relaford, Sr., INF, South Florida
 
Coach of the Year
Casey Dunn, UAB
 
All-Conference First Team
P – Ethan Norby, Jr., East Carolina
P – James Litman, So., Florida Atlantic
P – Conor Myles, Grad, UTSA*
RP – Joseph Webb, Sr., East Carolina
RP – Sam Simmons, Sr., UTSA
C – Andrew Stucky, Grad, UTSA*
1B – Caden Miller, So., UTSA*
2B – Braden Burress, So., East Carolina
SS – Jevin Relaford, Sr., South Florida*
3B – Jayson Jones, Sr., Wichita State
OF – JP Head, So., UAB
OF – Drew Detlefsen, Sr., UTSA
OF – Jason Wachs, So., Tulane
DH – Dylan Koontz, Grad, Charlotte
UTL – Max Price, R-Jr., UAB
 
All-Conference Second Team
P – Ryland Urbanczyk, R-Jr., Rice
P – Connor Kelley, Jr., UTSA
P – Matthew Cuccias, Jr., Wichita State
RP – Ty Thames, Fr., Rice
RP – Brady Pacha, Grad, Wichita State
C – Lance Trippel, Sr., South Florida
1B – Cody Gunderson, Sr., Charlotte
2B – JC Davis, Jr., Rice
SS – Javon Hernandez, Grad, Memphis
3B – Nick Romano, R-Sr., Florida Atlantic
OF – Alec DeMartino, Grad, Charlotte
OF – Todd Hudson, Sr., Charlotte
OF – Jack Herring, Sr., East Carolina
DH – Landon Beaver, So., UAB
UTL – Matt Rose, Sr., South Florida
 
All-Freshman Team
Austin Pierzynski, C, UAB
Baylor Roberts, SS, UAB
Carter Samuelson, P, UAB
Grady Lenahan, OF, East Carolina
Ethan Rose, P, East Carolina
Ethan Sanders, P, Rice
Ty Thames, P, Rice
Jack Lutz, 3B, South Florida
Dominic Pontbriant, P, South Florida
Michael Senay, P, South Florida*
 
* denotes unanimous selection