GREENWOOD, Indiana – Toledo’s Troy Sudbrook (First Team) and Northern Illinois’ Cole Smith (Second Team) were named Academic All-Americans by College Sport Communicators on Tuesday afternoon.
Sudbrook earned the first Academic All-America honor of his career and become Toledo's first-ever selection to the first team. He is the sixth Rocket ever to be named an Academic All-American and the first since 2013.
The Rockets' third baseman advanced to the Academic All-America ballot after being named CSC Academic All-District on June 2. Sudbrook was one of 33 student-athletes across NCAA Division I baseball to be named Academic All-America, and one of 14 first-team honorees. He was the only player from the Mid-American Conference to be selected Academic All-America.
In addition to the Academic All-America selection, Sudbrook has exemplified an All-American season on the field, with third-team All-America honors from both the NCBWA and ABCA. Sudbrook hit .373/.467/.665 with 11 home runs, 71 RBIs, 88 hits, 65 runs scored and 32 doubles. He walked or was hit by a pitch 45 times and stole 13 bases. Sudbrook set single-season program records in doubles and RBIs.
Tuesday's Academic All-American honor adds to Academic All-District and Academic All-MAC selections, both the second of Sudbrook's career. Sudbrook was also named a 'Starting 9' finalist for the NCBWA's Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy. Sudbrook also represented the MAC as the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum and was the Vice President of Toledo Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) this academic year.
Smith is the third NIU baseball student-athlete to be recognized as an Academic All-American. He is the first in 30 years after pitcher Paul Erschen earned the honor back in 1996. Smith graduated with a degree in general studies this spring, posting a 3.916 cumulative grade point average.
Smith started all 49 games he played this season, leading NIU with a .357 batting average, .583 slugging percentage and 19 doubles. He was one of three Huskies in 2026 to drive in at least 50 runs. Smith had two separate double-digit game hitting streaks. The first was from March 29 to April 28 which included eight multi-hit games. Smith reached base safely in each of the last 26 games of the season, which included an 11-game hitting streak from May 9-31.
In the Mid-American Conference tournament Smith hit .412 with two home runs and nine runs batted in, earning a spot on the MAC All-Tournament Team. He was 2-for-5 with five RBI, including a grand slam, in NIU’s 10-3 win over Toledo on May 22 to advance the Huskies to the MAC Championship game. Smith had a double, a triple, and an RBI in NIU’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win on May 29 over Coastal Carolina.
