BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Holy Cross finished atop the 2026 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Poll, and Crusaders’ senior outfielder CJ Egrie and senior right-handed pitcher Jaden Wywoda were selected Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, when the League office announced honors on Wednesday.
Army West Point senior infielder Thomas Schreck received Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Head coach Ed Kahovec and the defending champion Crusaders received 24 points and four first-place votes to top the preseason poll. Army West Point, the 2025 runner-up, claimed 22 points and two first-place votes. Navy (16) and Lehigh (14) ranked third and fourth, respectively, after earning berths in the 2025 Patriot League Championship. Bucknell (7) and Lafayette (7) tied for fifth place in the preseason poll.
Egrie, the 2025 Patriot League Player of the Year, captured the 2026 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year. Wywoda was voted 2026 Patriot League Preseason Pitcher of the Year after earning the League’s 2025 Pitcher of the Year honor.
Schreck, the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, highlighted a League-high five representatives from Army West Point on the Preseason All-Patriot League Baseball Team. Holy Cross and Navy each had three student-athletes selected to the squad, with Lehigh having two players recognized and Bucknell rounding out the squad with one honoree.
Voting for the Patriot League baseball preseason poll, major awards and the All-League team is conducted by League head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their student-athletes or team.
2026 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Player of the Year
CJ Egrie, Holy Cross, Sr., OF, Ventnor City, N.J./Holy Spirit/Phillips Academy Andover
2025 Statistics: 55 GP, .308 BA, 198 AB, 67 R, 61 H, 14 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 28 RBIs, .485 SLG, .459 OBP, 35 SB
*Egrie was selected the 2025 Patriot League Baseball Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-League.
*The senior outfielder led the Patriot League and ranked 45th in NCAA DI with 1.22 runs per game last season. He scored a League-best eight runs during the League Championship to lead the Crusaders to their first title since 2017.
*He also led the League and ranked 22nd in NCAA DI with 35 stolen bases.
2026 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Jaden Wywoda, Holy Cross, Sr., RHP, Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law
2025 Statistics: 16 GS, 84.1 IP, 9-3, 3.63 ERA, 2 CG, 1 SHO, 76 H, 46 R, 34 ER, 28 BB, 79 K, .239 OPP BA,
*Wywoda earned 2025 Patriot League Baseball Pitcher of the Year honors in addition to making earning first-team All-League accolades for the first time last season.
*The senior right-hander tied for the Patriot League lead in wins (9) and finished third in ERA (3.63) and second in strikeouts (79) to help the Crusaders to their first League title since 2017.
*In regular-season League play, Wywoda went 7-0 with a 3.10 ERA and 40 strikeouts in seven starts spanning 40.2 innings pitched to help Holy Cross to the regular-season crown.
2026 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Thomas Schreck, Army West Point, Sr., SS, Needville, Texas/Needville (New Mexico JC)
2025 Statistics: 50 GP, .335 BA, 158 AB, 40 R, 53 H, 14 2B, 3 HR, 35 RBI, .494 SLG., .449 OBP., 199 C, 58 PO, 133 A, .957 FLD., 22 DP
*Schreck earned First Team All-Patriot League and All-Tournament honors in 2025 after leading the Patriot League with 133 assists and recorded a .957 fielding percentage in 50 games.
*The senior shortstop helped turn 22 double plays, the fourth-best mark in the League.
*He was part of an Army West Point squad that posted a Patriot League-best .970 fielding percentage.
2026 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Holy Cross, 24 points (4 first-place votes)
2. Army West Point, 22 (2)
3. Navy, 16
4. Lehigh, 14
T5. Bucknell, 7
T5. Lafayette, 7
2026 Patriot League Baseball Major Awards
Preseason Player of the Year – CJ Egrie, Holy Cross, Sr., OF
Preseason Pitcher of the Year – Jaden Wywoda, Holy Cross, Sr., RHP
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Thomas Schreck, Army West Point, Sr., IF
2026 Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Starting Pitcher: Andrew Berg, Army West Point, Sr.
Starting Pitcher: Jaden Wywoda, Holy Cross, Sr.
Starting Pitcher: Brady Bendik, Navy, Jr.
Relief Pitcher: Cole Kochanowicz, Lehigh, So.
Catcher: Jack Quinlan, Army West Point, Sr.
Catcher: Ty DePerno, Navy, So.
Infielder: Chris Barr, Army West Point, Sr.
Infielder: Thomas Schreck, Army West Point, Sr.
Infielder: Aidan Quinn, Lehigh, Sr.
Infielder: Evan Brown, Navy, Jr.
Outfielder: Billy Parker, Army West Point, Sr.
Outfielder: CJ Egrie, Holy Cross, Sr.
Outfielder: Gianni Royer, Holy Cross, Jr.
At-Large: Ryan Facinelli, Bucknell, Sr.
Preseason All-Patriot League Baseball by the Numbers
All 14 of the Preseason All-Patriot League selections were named to one of the two All-Patriot League squads at the conclusion of the 2025 season, highlighted by three major award winners, including Egrie, Wywoda and 2025 Patriot League Baseball Rookie of the Year Ty DePerno (Navy, C).
Seven members of the preseason squad were First Team All-Patriot League selections in 2025. Holy Cross’ Wywoda and Army West Point’s Andrew Berg (Sr., RHP) made the 2025 first team as starting pitchers. Army’s Schreck, teammate Chris Barr (Sr., IF) and Lehigh’s Aidan Quinn (Sr., IF) were first-team selections, with Barr earning the distinction as an outfielder. The Crusaders’ Egrie and Army’s Billy Parker (Sr., OF) were also first-team honorees, with Parker earning the at-large spot.
Navy’s DePerno and Army West Point’s Jack Quinlan (Sr., C) are two of the seven preseason honorees to make the 2025 All-Patriot League Second Team. Navy’s Brady Bendik (Jr., RHP) and Lehigh’s Cole Kochanowicz (So., RHP) earned second-team spots as a starting pitcher and a reliever, respectively. Bucknell’s Ryan Facinelli (Sr., IF/OF), Holy Cross’ Gianni Royer (Jr., OF) and the Mids’ Evan Brown (Jr., IF) all earned second-team accolades last season.
Army’s Berg and Parker enter the 2026 season as two-time All-Patriot League selections.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.