Cougar Baseball has Five Earn Spots on the CSC Academic All-District Team

GREENWOOD, Ind. — The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team saw five of its student-athletes land a spot on the CSC Academic NAIA All-District Team on Tuesday, June 2.

The 2025-26 Academic All-District® Baseball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Brady Lester earned a spot on the team after a very strong season on the field and in the classroom. The junior from Fredericktown, Ohio made the All-Crossroads League Second Team while hitting .337. The outfielder hit 10 home runs to go with his 49 RBIs and 60 base hits. Lester was a threat on the basepaths for the Cougars as he stole 17 bases over the course of the season.

Ryan Willoughby also earned a spot after a strong junior season. The Auroa, Indiana native hit .304 to go along with 10 home runs and 44 RBI. Willoughby collected 45 hits and stole seven bases. Along with playing in the infield and outfield for the Cougars, Willoughby also showed off his two-way abilities. Willoughby started eight games on the mound for MVNU and had a 4-1 record. He had a 4.02 ERA and averaged 7.85 strikeouts per nine innings.

The next Cougar to join the team for MVNU was Jared Hurlburt. The senior from Sykesville, Maryland started 11 games on the mound and pitched 57 innings. Hurlburt won three games and averaged 9.79 strikeouts per nine innings.

Kaid Carpenter was the fourth Cougar to land a spot on the All-District Team. Carpenter, who is from Mount Vernon, Ohio, hit .299 on the season. The first-baseman had four homers and 33 RBI, along with a career-best 50 hits in his junior year.

The final student-athlete to garner recognition was Grant Peters. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native pitched 40.2 innings and had 18 appearances over the course of his sophomore season. Peters had a 4-2 overall record and an ERA of 4.20 while averaging 8.85 strikeouts per nine innings.

To be eligible for Academic All-District accolades, position players have competed in at least 90% of team games played OR have started at least 66% of the total number of team games played, pitchers must pitch 35-plus innings or appear in 17 games as a pitcher, and a 3.50 or better GPA.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,200 students from 36 states, 1 U.S. commonwealth and 41 foreign countries.