New York, NY - The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) has announced its All-Conference award and team for the 2026 season.
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Freshman
Jose Suero was tabbed Rookie of the Year. Baruch's Roy Longarzo was named the conference's Player of the Year for the third straight season. Benjamin Norwood of the Bearcats was voted the Pitcher of the Year, while Jose Torres was named Coach of the Year.CCNY's Adrian Tang was named the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award.
With Suero winning the Rookie of the Year, he becomes the fourth straight Bloodhound to win the award and fifth in program history, joining teammates
Sebastian Sanchez (2025),
Jaxen Gangwish (2024), and former Bloodhounds John Spallin (2023) and Marcus Rodriguez (1996).
In 28 games this season, Suero batted .351 with 11 runs scored while driving in eight runs. He finished the season with seven doubles and was 9 of 12 on stolen base attempts.
Additionally, the Bloodhounds had two players named to the All-Conference Team,
Sebastian Sanchez and
Jaxen Gangwish, while
Isaac Salazar earned a spot on the Sportsmanship Team.
Sanchez emerged as one of John Jay's most productive bats during the 2026 campaign. Appearing in 35 games, he slashed an impressive .383/.528/.626 while totaling 41 hits, 24 runs scored, 18 RBI, 13 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. His elite plate discipline was a major factor in his breakout season, drawing 29 walks to post a remarkable .528 on-base percentage. He finished in the top ten in average, home runs, and RBIs while ranking second in OPS (1.189), and third in hits (45). Â He delivered multiple signature performances throughout the year, highlighted by two home runs and a 3-RBI outing at Maritime on March 19. He consistently produced extra-base power, recording 13 doubles on the season, including multi-double games against Manhattanville and CCNY. Sanchez recorded 13 multi-hit games, including a three-hit performance against Rowan and several key conference performances late in the season. Â On the mound, he made six appearances and struck out 11 batters across 17.2 innings of work, highlighted by a five-strikeout outing against Lehman and a three-strikeout performance versus Manhattanville.
Gangwish served as one of the team's most dynamic offensive threats while anchoring the middle infield defensively. Appearing in 34 games, he hit .333 with a .422 on-base percentage and a .556 slugging percentage, totaling 42 hits, 27 runs scored, 17 RBI, eight doubles, four triples, four home runs, and 13 stolen bases. His four triples ranked among the team leaders, while recording 13 multi-hit performances, highlighted by a four-hit outing against Penn State Brandywine and a pair of three-hit games against Manhattanville and Lehman. Gangwish delivered several statement performances during conference play, including a huge doubleheader against Lehman on April 3, where he combined for five hits, four runs scored, four RBI, three extra-base hits, and two home runs. He also homered against Centenary (N.J.) and CCNY.
Salazar provided toughness, leadership, and consistency behind the plate throughout the 2026 season, serving as a key defensive anchor for the Bloodhounds' pitching staff. Appearing in 19 games at catcher, he batted .283 with 17 hits and nine RBI. He also recorded multiple multi-hit performances during the season, including a three-hit effort against Mount St. Vincent and a pair of two-hit games versus Manhattanville and Baruch. He also produced key RBI performances against Rutgers Newark and CCNY, highlighted by a two-RBI outing in conference play.
