DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -  Bethune-Cookman baseball represented well in the 2026 Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason Awards, placing eight on All-SWAC teams, taking home SWAC Pitcher and Player of the Year, and being picked to finish first in the annual conference coaches' poll. 

Fresh of a 2025 SWAC Title - the first ever in the conference for Bethune-Cookman - and a trip to the Tallahassee Regional, the Wildcats were picked to finish first in this years conference standings, garnering 12 of 20 first-place votes. They were followed by SWAC runner-up Florida A&M, Alabama State, Grambling State, and Jackson State to round out the top five. 

Edwin Sanchez was tabbed SWAC Pitcher of the Year, as well as All-SWAC Second Team. He registered a record of 8-1 on the 2025 regular season – tops on the squad, with a team-low 3.06 ERA (third-lowest in the SWAC) and a team-high 79 strikeouts (third-most in the conference). Allowing just 27 runs on the season, he owned the third-fewest runs allowed in the SWAC with 64.1 innings on the mound. Opponents hit just .256 against him. He tallied two games with double-digit strikeouts – Alcorn State (13) and Grambling State (10).

Andrey Martinez was named SWAC Player of the Year and All-SWAC First Team. In the regular season, he led the SWAC in home runs (19), just one shy of Ryan Durrence from the 2010 season. While seeing time at third base, first base and in the outfield, Martinez homered in three of his last four games, holding a .352 batting average and a SWAC second-best slugging percentage of .754 across the campaign. Other categories for which Martinez tops the league include RBIs (2nd), runs (5th), hits (5th) and sacrifice flies (8th).

Joining Martinez on the First Team was infielder Jesus Vanegas. The Cypress Bay High alum batted .303 during the regular season with starts in all 54 games for the Maroon and Gold. He added a .612 slugging percentage with a team second-most 61 hits, 12 doubles and 16 home runs. He swiped five bases on the season and fielded at a .970 clip in accounting for 102 putouts and 121 assists from his second base position.

Darryl Lee, also named a First Teamer, started 48-of-51 games and recorded a .292 batting average to go along with 52 hits, a team-high five (5) triples and nine home runs. Arriving to Daytona Beach from Coastal Alabama CC, Lee turned in 11 games in which he has driven in multiple runs, including a season-best five versus Florida Gulf Coast.
 
Jeter Polledo was a constant at the shortstop position with 44 starts while batting .309 with 47 hits, nine (9) doubles, four (4) triples and six home runs. A native of Hialeah, Florida, Polledo logged 55 putouts and 92 assists with seven stolen bases. He pushed across a season-best six RBIs against UMES, as well as a pair of four-RBI games against Florida Gulf Coast, Alcorn State and South Florida. He was also named to the First Team.

Rounding out the First Team was Jean Carlos Zambrano, who moved into a key relief pitching slot for the Maroon and Gold midway through the 2025 season. He amassed a 6-2 record through the regular season with a team-high matching two saves. He held a 3.32 ERA for the Cats in 40.2 innings on the bump. His six wins matched him ninth in the SWAC in that department. He registered a season-high tying five strikeouts against Maryland Eastern Shore and Alcorn State, respectively.

On the Second Team was Armani Newton. He was a versatile and consistent contributor for the Wildcats, appearing in 52 games during the season. The utility player posted a .267 batting average with 39 hits in 146 at-bats, showcasing power and extra-base ability with nine home runs, eight doubles, and two triples. Newton drove in 23 runs and crossed the plate 39 times, while also providing value on the basepaths with seven stolen bases on eight attempts. He demonstrated solid plate discipline with 23 walks and delivered dependable defense across multiple positions, finishing with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

Armani Newton was a versatile and consistent contributor for the Wildcats, appearing in 52 games during the season. The utility player posted a .267 batting average with 39 hits in 146 at-bats, showcasing power and extra-base ability with nine home runs, eight doubles, and two triples. Newton drove in 23 runs and crossed the plate 39 times, while also providing value on the basepaths with seven stolen bases on eight attempts. He demonstrated solid plate discipline with 23 walks and delivered dependable defense across multiple positions, finishing with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

The final All-SWAC honoree for B-CU was Sergio Rivera. He appeared in 46 games for the Wildcats in 2025. The outfielder batted .317, recording 44 hits in 139 at-bats while showing power and gap-to-gap ability with three home runs, 11 doubles, and three triples. Rivera drove in 34 runs and crossed the plate 47 times, while demonstrating strong plate discipline with 23 walks against 27 strikeouts. Defensively, he was nearly flawless in the outfield, posting a .990 fielding percentage.

B-CU opens the 2026 season against Bradley on Friday, February 13 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. First pitch is set for 7pm. 


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