WALESKA, Ga. — According to a release from the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) office on Tuesday night, the Montreat College baseball team claimed several 2026 All-Conference accolades, ranging from athletic to academic to character honors.
Daniel Restrepo secured Second Team All-AAC recognition,
Matthew Brunner landed on the AAC Gold Glove Team and 28 Cavaliers appeared on the AAC All-Academic Team.
As a first baseman, Restrepo hauled in Second Team All-AAC status, performing superbly at the plate and in the field. The Miami native slashed .296/.348/.620 across 43 games, 37 of which were starts. Restrepo's 12 homer led the squad and tied for fourth-most in the conference during the 2026 campaign. A Seminole State College transfer, Restrepo also paced his teammates with 38 RBIs and 34 runs scored. He totaled eight doubles, one triple, 10 walks and seven stolen bases as well. Defensively, Restrepo turned in a .986 fielding percentage.
Brunner patrolled left field for the Cavs, starting in 40 of his 45 games played. In 77 chances, Brunner successfully recorded 74 putouts and two assists, good for a .987 fielding percentage. The Brick Township, N.J. native made merely one error all season compared to several diving and sliding catches. As a result, Brunner was named the AAC's Gold Glover in left.
All athletic awards were voted on and selected by the head baseball coaches of the AAC.
Along with the athletic honors, the league office also announced its All-Academic Team and Champions of Character Team recipients.
Robert Aalbue,
Justin Austin,
Nathan Betancourt, Brunner,
Jason Brulport,
Dawson Bryant,
Tyson Clingan,
Andrew Dye,
Kaden Ethier,
Hunter Furches,
Rylan Furr,
Isaiah Galindo,
Gustavo Gonzalez,
Nick Kantzavelos,
Zachary Long,
Parker Lovering,
Cameron Nagel,
Ido Peled,
Nick Pope,
Hunter Rast,
Devon Smith,
Stephen Stroupe,
Christopher Suarez,
Truitt Taylor,
Adrian Vivo,
Jack Weisman,
Bryton Williams and
Rhett Yurko garnered AAC All-Academic Team status, while Brunner also captured a spot on the AAC Champions of Character Team.
To qualify for the AAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. Each institution in the league also received one spot on the AAC Champions of Character Team, and the honorees were selected by each program's head coach.
For a look at the 2026 AAC Baseball All-Conference awards, click
here.
The Montreat College baseball team closed out its regular season schedule with a 31-19 (14-13 AAC) record, tied for seventh-best in the league standings. As a result, the Cavaliers entered the AAC Tournament with the No. 8 seed.
