BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Prior to the start of the 2026 Gulf South Conference Baseball Championship, the conference announced its all-conference teams and individual award winners. The conference also unveiled its first-ever GSC Gold Glove team. All selections were made by the conference’s 12 head coaches via an online poll.
 
The four individual laurels were split among three teams. West Florida graduate Zach Stokes was named GSC Player of the Year, while GSC Pitcher of the Year honors went to Delta State senior Adrian Byrd. West Alabama meanwhile took home a pair of awards as pitcher Blake Westry was voted GSC Freshman of the Year with Eric DuBose chosen as GSC Coach of the Year.
 
Thirty-six student-athletes from 10 baseball programs were recognized across the two all-conference teams. The top two teams in the standings—West Alabama and Lee—led the way with a conference-best seven All-GSC selections apiece. Delta State and West Florida had five honorees each. UAH and Trevecca Nazarene each had three, while Mississippi College and Montevallo followed with two. AUM and Union each had one.
 
The inaugural Gold Glove team was comprised of nine defensive standouts from six schools. Named to the squad was West Alabama Westry and catcher Tanner Jones, Delta State second baseman Henley Parker and outfielder Cade Greer, Union first baseman Grant Ross and third baseman Dyllon Barrett, AUM shortstop Tucker Burns, Lee outfielder JJ Williams, and UWF's Stokes.

Stokes also had a productive year at the plate, recording a .419 batting average with 72 hits, 37 runs batted in and 59 runs scored. He also slugged .733 behind 12 home runs and a conference-best 18 doubles. He also topped the charts in on-base percentage (.536) and walks (43), while ranking second in batting average, slugging, hits and runs scored. 
 
Byrd was dominate this season tallying a 7-1 record with a 1.64 earned run average, while leaving hitters to a collective .193 batting average. The left-hander led all GSC pitchers in ERA, opponent batting average, and strikeouts (91), while being among the top-five in wins (3rd), innings pitched (4th/77.0), wins (3rd), hits allowed (t-2nd), and runs allowed (2nd/18). Nationally, Byrd’s ERA and total strikeouts were third among Division II pitchers, while his WHIP (0.99) was eighth overall.
 
In his debut season, Westry led the Tigers pitching staff in wins, posting an 8-1 record in 12 starts. The rookie right-hander also had a 2.24 earned run average, recorded 43 strikeouts in 64.1 innings pitched. He also led the conference in runs allowed (17), while ranking second in earned runs allowed (16), earned run average and wins (2nd), and fifth in hits allowed (57). Westry is the first Tiger to garner GSC Freshman of the Year since Luke Phillips in 2017.
 
In his third season at the helm, DuBose led West Alabama to its best conference record since 2016 and its first GSC regular season title is more than a decade. The Tigers went 23-10 in conference play and notched a 34-13 record overall, marking the second straight season with 30-plus wins. Statistically, West Alabama had one of the best pitching staffs in Division II during the regular season, ranking among the top-25 in team ERA (2nd/3.55), hits allowed per nine innings (9th/8.08), WHIP (10th/1.32) and shutouts (24th/4), while the team’s .723-win percentage was 25th nationally.
 
The 2026 GSC Baseball Championship will begin Friday, May 1 from Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. Visit gscsports.org/baseballchamp26 for tickets, schedules and more information.
 
2026 GSC Baseball Yearly Awards
Player of the Year: Zach Stokes, West Florida
Pitcher of the Year: Adrian Byrd, Delta State
Freshman of the Year: Blake Westry, West Alabama
Coach of the Year: Eric DuBose, West Alabama

First Team All-GSC^
SP - Adrian Byrd, Delta State
SP - Blake Westry, West Alabama
SP - Zach Wyatt, Montevallo
SP - Evan Bloomer, Lee
RP - Micky Sheetz, West Florida
C - Isaiah French, Lee
C - William Lybrook, West Florida
1B - Jack Fitzgerald, Montevallo
2B - Landon Franklin, Lee
SS - Luke Collier, Lee
3B - Nick Wilson, West Alabama
INF - Caleb Mahan, UAH
DH - Cade Martin, Trevecca
OF - Zack Stokes, West Florida
OF - Rashad Robinson, West Alabama
OF - Tucker Jones, Delta State
OF - Elijah Ramsey, Union
UTL - Cody Turner, Lee
                         
Second Team All-GSC^
SP - Colton Dorsey, West Florida
SP - Colin Woodham, West Alabama
SP - Logan Harrell, Trevecca Nazarene
SP - Gage Shaver, Lee
RP - Thomas Kerby, West Alabama
C - Austin Batts, Delta State
1B - Levi Lang, Delta State
2B - Hudson Allen, Montevallo         
2B - Jake Cooper, West Florida
2B - Austin Thacker, West Alabama
SS - Hugh Windle, UAH
3B - Seth Staggs, UAH
OF - Braden Gabel, Lee
OF - Austin Estes, Delta State
OF - Ty Murphy, Mississippi College
OF - Christopher McNeill, AUM
DH - Wayne Wilkerson, West Alabama
UTL - Cade Gadman, Mississippi College