WASHINGTON, Pa. – Three Washington & Jefferson College baseball team student-athletes were awarded with All-Region honors from D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings, announced by each organization on Tuesday (May 26).
 
Brendan Cruz (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley) highlighted the awards for the Presidents, being named the D3baseball.com Region 7 Pitcher of the Year. This marks the second consecutive year that a W&J pitcher has been named Region 7 Pitcher of the Year. Last season, Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) '25 earned the honor for the Presidents.
 
Cruz was also named First Team All-Region from both D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings. The junior hurler finished his junior season with a 1.73 earned run average with a 10-1 record. His 10 wins ranks him tied for fourth most in Division III. Cruz is one of 11 pitchers nationally with at least 10 wins. He also compiled 52 strikeouts while only allowing eight extra-base hits.
 
Cruz was voted Presidents' Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year honors following a remarkable junior campaign. That marked the second-straight year, and 11th time overall that W&J has received the PAC Pitcher of the Year award. Cruz led all of NCAA Baseball in ERA (0.93) and WHIP (0.71) regardless of division through the conference tournament.
 
He sported a perfect 10-0 record in 12 appearances. He was the conference leader in opponent batting average (.140), fewest hits allowed (33), runs allowed (10) and earned runs allowed (7). He tossed a pair of complete game efforts including his three-hitter in the victory over Grove City to open PAC Tournament play on Wednesday (May 6). Cruz also earned a spot on the PAC All-Tournament Team for his efforts during the tournament.
 
Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) and Luke Alvarez (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) each earned All-Region honors for the first time in their respective careers.
 
Dezenzo was named a First Team All-Region selection from both D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings. The senior finished the season batting .407 from the plate with eight home runs, 23 doubles, two triples, 40 RBIs and 12 steals. His 23 doubles are a single-season program record and rank him tied for fifth in Division III. Dezenzo has 24 career home runs, which are the second most in program history.
 
Dezenzo was also named the fifth W&J winner of the PAC Player of the Year award in the last six years. Dezenzo led the conference in on-base percentage (.532) and doubles. He ranks second in the league in batting average (.423), OPS (1.328) and slugging percentage (.796). Dezenzo is also the team leader in runs scored (49) and total bases (109).  
 
These honors add to a bevy of accolades this year for the senior, who was a two-time PAC Hitter of the Week, two-time selection for D3baseball.com Team of the Week and the NCBWA Division III Hitter of the Week for April 8th. He had a hand in the Presidents securing the conference title, finishing with four hits, four RBIs and three runs scored in W&J's 4-0 run through the Tournament.
 
Alvarez was selected as a D3baseball.com First Team All-Region athlete and a Second Team All-Region ABCA/Rawlings selection. Alvarez put together a historic 2026 campaign. The multi-faceted player helped lift the Presidents to the conference crown through his work as another power bat in the lineup, his defensive efforts at catcher and his role as the team's closer on the mound.
 
Alvarez, the 2026 PAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, ranks tied for sixth in all of Division III with 16 home runs. He finished the season with a .365 batting average with 15 walks. The total established a new single-season school record. Alvarez is second in Division III Baseball with a .917 slugging percentage and first in home runs per game (0.46). Alvarez finished as the team leader with 42 RBI and 1.379 OPS (on base plus slugging).
 
Alvarez has six multi-home run games in 2026 including in the title round win over Grove City. Despite never recording an appearance as a pitcher in his first three seasons at W&J, the senior has compiled a stellar 0.56 earned run average, allowing just one run in 16 innings of work. Alvarez has recorded 22 strikeouts, issued just two walks and limited opponents to a .158 batting average. He has also registered four saves this season.
 
The ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-America teams will be announced on the evening of Thursday (May 28), following the Opening Ceremony at the 2026 NCAA Division III World Series in Eastlake, Ohio. Only First Team All-Region selections are eligible for All-America honors. Additionally, D3baseball.com will release their All-America honors on Thursday as well.