OKLAHOMA CITY — Texas Wesleyan University headlined the Sooner Athletic Conference postseason awards as Brendon Vela was named the 2026 SAC Baseball Player of the Year after leading the Rams to the regular-season title.

The honor, voted on by the league's head coaches prior to last week's conference tournament, caps a dominant season for both Vela and the Rams. Head coach Robert Garza was also recognized as SAC Coach of the Year after guiding Texas Wesleyan to a 42-10 overall record and a program-best 22-5 mark in conference play. The Rams are currently ranked No. 15 in the NAIA Coaches Poll.

Texas Wesleyan's presence extended well beyond the top individual honors, with multiple Rams earning All-Conference recognition. Jose Rangel was named a First Team selection at shortstop and also earned a Gold Glove for his defensive play, while Sam Mendez secured First Team honors as a starting pitcher. Giuseppe Buttaci was named to the Second Team at third base, and Michael Pelosi earned Second Team recognition on the mound while also being named the conference's Gold Glove recipient at pitcher.

Around the conference, Ibrahim Gonzalez of Mid-America Christian was named Pitcher of the Year, while teammate Nick Hill earned Newcomer of the Year honors. Central Christian's Samir Gonzalez was selected as Freshman of the Year.
Vela delivered one of the most productive offensive seasons in program history, finishing second in the SAC with a .454 batting average while leading the conference in hits (98), doubles (22) and triples (7). He also ranked third in both runs batted in (61) and runs scored (62).

His performance places him firmly among the best single-season hitters in Texas Wesleyan history. Vela's .452 batting average ranks second all-time in the program record book, trailing only Kiki Hernandez's .466 mark set in 2018. His seven triples are also second in a single season, behind Alex Gudae's record of eight. Additionally, his 81 hits and 22 doubles rank among the top 10 single-season totals in program history in their respective categories.

Gonzalez anchored the mound for Mid-America Christian, posting a league-best 1.91 earned run average with an 11-2 record. He recorded six complete games, struck out 91 batters and limited opponents to a .216 batting average.

Hill emerged as one of the conference's top power hitters, finishing with a .360 batting average and a league-leading .832 slugging percentage. He also led the SAC with 75 RBIs and ranked second in runs scored with 63.

Samir Gonzalez appeared in 27 games during his freshman campaign, batting .222 with a .407 slugging percentage. He drove in six runs and scored seven times.

Garza's leadership marks one of the most successful seasons in recent program history, with the Rams' 22 conference wins setting a new benchmark. Combined with Vela's historic offensive output and a strong showing across the All-Conference teams, the 2026 campaign further solidifies Texas Wesleyan's position.

Here is the complete list of All-Conference and postseason award winners.
 
2026 SAC Baseball All-Conference
Player of the Year – Brendon Vela, TXWES
Pitcher of the Year - Ibrahim Gonzalez, MACU
Newcomer of the Year - Nick Hill, MACU
Freshman of the Year – Samir Gonzalez, CCC
Coach of the Year – Robert Garza, TXWES
 
First Team:
Catcher – Adonis Bernal, WBU
Catcher – Duncan Key, USAO
1B – Frankie Giacalone, MACU
2B – Corey Morro, USAO
3B – Nick Hill, MACU
SS – Jose Rangel, TXWES
UTL – Aiden Van Rensum, OCU
DH – Brendon Vela, TXWES
OF – Henry Garcia, USAO
OF – Trent Baker, OCU
OF – Drew Ortiz, Nelson
OF – Jalen King, MACU
SP – Ibrahim Gonzalez, MACU
SP – Sam Mendez, TXWES
SP – Reagan Smith, Nelson
SP – Nick Julian, CCC
RP – Liam Taft, MACU
 
Second Team:
 
Catcher – Chase Robertson, CofO
Catcher – Zeke Velaquez, Nelson
1B – Arcadio Martinez, WBU
2B – Cole Krepcik, MACU
3B – Giuseppe Buttaci, TXWES
SS – Genesis Nunez, OPSU
UTL – Josh Pinter, Nelson
DH – Adam Hanan, MACU
OF – Aiden Alexander, OCU
OF – Sammy Hallada, MACU
OF – Kurt Ippolito, CCC
OF – Christian Toledo, WBU
SP – Michael Pelosi, TXWES
SP – Fabian Hernandez, MACU
SP – Justin Evasovic, CCC
SP – Cameron Jennings, CofO
RP – Nick Anaya, OCU
 
Gold Glove:
 
Catcher – Jahzeel Groetelaers, MACU
1B - Frankie Giacalone, MACU
2B - Corey Morro, USAO
3B - Nick Hill, MACU
SS - Jose Rangel, TXWES
LF - Trent Baker, OCU
CF - Aiden Alexander, OCU
RF - Henry Garcia, USAO
P - Michael Pelosi, TXWES