WASHINGTON, Pa. – For the first time since 2017, the Washington & Jefferson College baseball team was awarded with All-American selections in the same season. Three Presidents were selected to teams by D3baseball.com while the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings recognized a pair of Presidents on its All-America Teams. Both organizations announced their respective All-America Teams on Thursday (May 28). Junior pitcher Brendan Cruz (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley) and senior designated hitter Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) were both named to the D3baseball.com First Team and the ABCA/Rawlings Second Team. Additionally, senior utility Luke Alvarez (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) was selected to the D3baseball.com Second Team.
 
Cruz makes it a second-straight year that a W&J starting pitcher earned All-American honors from both D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings All-American. The junior hurler finished his season with a 1.73 earned run average and a 10-1 record. His 10 wins ranks him as fourth most among Division III pitchers. Cruz is one of 11 pitchers nationally with at least 10 wins. He also compiled 52 strikeouts while allowing just eight extra-base hits all season. Cruz, the D3baseball.com Region 7 Pitcher of the Year, was also voted Presidents' Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year earlier this month. Cruz was the conference leader in opponent batting average (.140), fewest hits allowed (33), runs allowed (10) and earned runs allowed (7) at the conclusion of the PAC Tournament.

Dezenzo becomes the first W&J designated hitter to be named a D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings All-American. 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 put him second in program history. Earlier this month, Dezenzo was named the fifth W&J winner of the PAC Player of the Year award in the last six years. At the conclusion of the PAC Tournament, Dezenzo led the conference in on-base percentage (.532) and doubles while ranking second in the league in batting average (.423), OPS (1.328) and slugging percentage (.796). Dezenzo finished as the team leader in runs scored (49) and total bases (110).  

Alvarez becomes the first utility player to be named a D3baseball.com All-American since Tyler Horvat '23 following the 2023 season. Alvarez, the 2026 PAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, currently ranks tied for sixth in all of Division III with 16 home runs. The total established a new single-season school record at W&J. He finished the season with a .365 batting average and 15 walks. Alvarez is second in Division III Baseball with a .917 slugging percentage and first in home runs per game (0.46). The senior finished as the team leader with 42 RBI and 1.379 OPS (on base plus slugging). Alvarez had six multi-home run games in 2026 including in the title round win over Grove City. He also made an impact on the mound, compiling a stellar 0.56 earned run average, allowing just one run in 16 innings of work. Alvarez recorded 22 strikeouts, allowed just two walks and limited opponents to a .158 batting average. He has also registered four saves this season.

W&J now has 13 players in program history who achieved All-American status. All of which have come under the tenure of head coach Jeff Mountain. W&J finished with a 32-13 record in 2026. The Presidents won their 17th conference championship and reached the NCAA Tournament for a 12th time in program history.