The Team of the Week is D3baseball.com's weekly honor roll, in its fifteenth season of recognizing the top performers at each of nine positions from the previous week. Players are selected from nominations from their school's sports information directors. This is the first Team of the Week of the 2026 season.
Games of February 1-15, 2026
C Caleb Moore, Jr., Kalamazoo
Moore led Kalamazoo with a .588 average (10-for-17) in four games in California this weekend. He was his best against ranked Pomona-Pitzer with three doubles and three RBIs in Kalamazoo's 12-0 win. He scored eight runs and drove in 13 over his four games.
1B Alexander Kavalick, Jr., Alma
Kavalick led Alma to two wins last weekend. He opened his season with a .667 (6-for-9) batting average and a 1.222 slugging percentage. He drove in four runs and scored five with three doubles and a triple.
2B Nikolas Ruden, Sr., Grinnell
Grinnell opened their season with two losses but Ruden's start was just the opposite. The righthanded senior had four hits in six tries (.667 BA) with three being of the extra-base variety. His two doubles and home run netted him a 1.500 slugging percentage. He scored once and drove in three. he finished the weekend with a 2.167 OPS.
SS Nico Bartolotti, Jr., Brevard
Bartolotti helped the Tornados to the program's best start (6-0) to start a campaign in the NCAA era. He batted .636 (7-for-11) and drove in nine and scored six. His only extra-base hit was a double against Guilford on February 11th.
3B Jackson Inman, So., Salisbury
Inman slashed .667/.625/1.667 with two doubles, two triples, four runs, and six RBIs in the Sea Gulls' dominant doubleheader sweep of Moravian. In game one he bashed a double and two triples in four trips to the plate. In game two he belted another double in two at-bats before being lifted for another fielder.
OF Kai Gonzaga, So., Pomona-Pitzer
Gonzaga was a big part of the Sagehens to a 5-2 start to the season. He leads the team in average so far hitting .524 (11-for-21) with 11 RBI and 10 runs scored. He has hit two doubles and three home runs. He was 3-for-4 in steals.
OF Jaxson Kister, Jr., Linfield
Kister opened his season batting .583 (7-for12). He had two doubles and a home runs for a 1.000 slugging. He drove in five and scored seven in the three game weirs with Eastern Oregon.
OF Robert Newland, Sr., Kalamazoo
Newland hit .571 (8-for-14) with a .857 slugging percentage and seven stolen bases in four games. his seven runs scored and four RBIs helped Kalamazoo to a 4-0 start. His three extra-base hits included two doubles and a triple.
DH Xavier Byams, Fr., Berry
Byams reached base nine times to start the season. He was 5-for-7 (.714) and walked four times for a .818 on-base percentage. Two of his hits went for doubles as he slugged 1.000. He had five RBIs and three runs scored.
SP Jackson Baird, Sr., Christopher Newport
Baird took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against Eastern Mennonite before exiting due to an early season pitch count. He struck out six batters and allowed just one earned run after an inherited runner came into score in the sixth. Baird walked three but faced just 19 batters in 5.1 innings pitched - three over the minimum.
SP Aidan Brinsfield, Jr., Salisbury
Brinsfield spun six scoreless, hitless innings as part of the Sea Gulls' seven-inning combined no-hitter in game two against Moravian on Saturday. Brinsfield walked two and struck out seven on 83 pitches in his latest gem.
SP Cole Grunwald, Sr., Alma
Grunwald was credited the win with the start in Alma'a season opener. He allowed a single hit and no walks while recording a career high ten strikeouts.
SP Teagan Yotter, So., Hamline
Yotter was given the ball in the season opener for Hamline and responded with a gem against a 2025 NCAA playoff team. He allowed a single hit with two walks in his 6.0 innings of work. His nine strikeouts is a career high in his young career with the Pipers.
RP Griffen Rogers, So., Occidental
Rogers has been lights out on the mound and stellar at the plate through the Tigers first two series of the season. After a rough 2025 season, Oxy is 4-2 to open 2026, a big part due to Rogers' success on the mound. The Tigers closer has allowed just three baserunners through four innings pitched (one walk and two hit by pitches), striking out nine batters. He's earned two saves and a win in four appearances. Rogers is also 6-for-17 at the plate.