Waterville, ME - Vermont State University Lyndon baseball players Carlos Rodriguez (La Mirada, CA), and Andrew Lovejoy (Milton, VT) were honored by the North Atlantic Conference when the conference announced its end of season awards on Wednesday. Rodriguez was named the conference Pitcher of the Year and was a 1st Team All-Conference selection, while Lovejoy was named to the Sportsmanship Team.
After missing the 2025 campaign due to injury, Rodriguez, a graduate student, came back to post his best season of his four-year career. The left hander was 5-3 with a 2.04 earned run average over 12 appearances and ten starts in 66.1 innings pitched. His ERA was the best among NAC pitchers by almost a run and a half a game. In conference games his ERA was an even more impressive 1.88. His five wins were second best in the conference, Rodriguez also led the conference in strikeouts with 57, as well as strikeout to walk ratio (5.7) and walks allowed per nine innings (1.36). His four complete games ranked second in the NAC and 14th nationally in NCAA Division III.
Lovejoy, a junior, appeared in four games at first base, where he recorded 11 putouts without committing an error. Selection to the Sportsmanship Team is reserved for those who distinguish themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. The honorees have positively affected the baseball culture and game environment by clearly demonstrating sportsmanship and integrity beyond playing rules and etiquette.
The NAC also announced the All-Tournament Team from last weekend's NAC Championship Tournament. Rodriguez and Cesar Cisneros (National City, CA) represented Lyndon on the team. Rodriguez threw eight stellar innings and 134 pitches in the Hornets' opening game against eventual champion Husson University, allowing two runs, neither earned, and seven hits while striking out eight against two walks. He did not factor in the decision in the Hornets' 3-2 loss to the Eagles. Cisneros was five for seven at the plate in Lyndon's two games against Husson and Thomas College. He scored three times in the Hornets' 16-14 elimination game loss to Thomas.
Lyndon finished the season 16-25 overall and 12-12 in NAC play. The Hornets earned their first NAC playoff berth since 2019. They also won the most games since 2019 and the most conference games since 2018 this season. Rodriguez has completed his eligibility, while Lovejoy is expected to be part of a core of returners that will form the foundation of the 2027 team.
