JACKSONVILLE, Fla., -- Fresh off capturing the 2026 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Baseball Championship, the Edward Waters University baseball team continued to collect postseason accolades as eight Tigers were recognized among the 2026 Black College Nines Elite Small School Division Individual Awards.
Black College Nines honored 53 student-athletes from 21 Historically Black Colleges and Universities representing NCAA Division II, the NAIA, the NCCAA and the USCAA. Selections were based on statistical performance, research conducted by Black College Nines, analytics provided by A. Rod White of the National Scouting Bureau, and input from coaching staffs and sports information departments.
Edward Waters was among the most represented programs in the nation, placing eight honorees on the Elite teams following its SIAC championship season. Albany State followed with seven selections, while Talladega College earned six.
Leading the way for the Tigers was Daniel Donaldson-Fountain, who was named the Black College Nines Small School Player of the Year while also earning First Team All-Elite honors as an outfielder. Donaldson-Fountain capped one of the finest offensive seasons in Division II, leading the SIAC in batting average (.418), slugging percentage (.809), hits (81) and home runs (19). His outstanding campaign also earned him SIAC Player of the Year, NCBWA Division II Second Team All-America, D2CCA Second Team All-America and ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region First Team recognition.
Senior infielder Dannon Smith collected First Team All-Elite honors after producing another exceptional season. Smith hit .354 while totaling 70 hits, 63 runs scored, 16 doubles, 36 RBI and a conference-leading 46 stolen bases.
Versatile standout Jordan Smith also landed on the First Team as a utility player following a season in which he excelled both offensively and on the mound. Smith batted .378 with 45 hits, 43 runs scored and 24 RBI while posting a 3.03 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 33 innings. He was also recognized as a Second Team All-SIAC performer, earned D2CCA All-South Region honors and was selected to the SIAC All-Tournament Team.
On the mound, junior Tyler Pfirrmann was named a First Team starting pitcher after leading the SIAC with 10 victories. Pfirrmann struck out 89 batters over 89.1 innings, finished with a 4.53 ERA, threw one complete game and limited opponents to a .268 batting average.
Freshman reliever Ty Mitzel rounded out Edward Waters' First Team selections after emerging as one of the nation's top bullpen arms. Mitzel led the SIAC with six saves while posting a 2-0 record, a 2.10 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 30 innings. Opponents hit just .176 against the rookie, who also earned D2CCA honors and SIAC All-Tournament recognition.
The Tigers added two more selections on the Third Team.
Sophomore Bobby Torres earned Third Team honors as a utility player after being named the SIAC Utility Player of the Year. Torres batted .311 with 41 hits, 31 runs scored, five home runs, 38 RBI and eight stolen bases while helping lead the Tigers to the conference championship.
Sophomore catcher Joseph Di Cesare also received Third Team recognition following a standout season behind the plate. Di Cesare hit .278 while recording 37 hits, 24 runs scored, four home runs and 29 RBI, establishing himself as one of the top catchers in Division II.
Edward Waters' success extended to the coaching staff as Head Coach Reginald Johnson II was named Black College Nines Small School Co-Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Talladega College's Marcos Dominguez. Johnson guided the Tigers to their second SIAC championship in the past three seasons while surpassing the 400-career-win milestone. The honor marks Johnson's second Black College Nines Coach of the Year recognition, having previously received the award in 2016.
The eight individual selections and Coach of the Year honor serve as another testament to one of the most successful seasons in recent Edward Waters baseball history, as the Tigers combined conference championship success with national recognition across nearly every facet of the game.
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