Fighting Illini sophomore Brayden Mazzacano has been named to the 2026 watch list for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation.
The award is given each year to the most outstanding two-way player in college baseball. This season’s watch list includes 49 players from across the country, featuring prominent names such as last year’s winner, Evan Dempsey from Florida Gulf Coast. The selection highlights players who have already made important contributions to their teams.
Mazzacano has participated in six games for Illinois in 2026, including one shutout appearance as a pitcher and two starts in center field. He recorded his first collegiate hit against VCU on February 21.
The award is named after John Olerud, a former Washington State University player who excelled both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s. Olerud was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Previous winners include Mike McGee (Florida State, 2010), Danny Hultzen (Virginia, 2011), Brian Johnson (Florida, 2012), Marco Gonzales (Gonzaga, 2013), A.J. Reed (Kentucky, 2014), Brendan McKay (Louisville, 2015-17), Brooks Wilson (Stetson, 2018), Aaron Schunk (Georgia, 2019), Spencer Schwellenbach (Nebraska, 2021), Paul Skenes (Air Force, 2022), Caden Grice (Clemson, 2023), Jac Caglianone (Florida, 2024) and Evan Dempsey (Florida Gulf Coast, 2025). The award was not presented in 2020 due to a suspended season.
Mazzacano is one of five Big Ten student-athletes on this year’s watch list. Others recognized are Iowa’s Kyle Alivo and Tyler Guerin, Northwestern’s Carter Danz and Indiana’s Caleb Koskie.
The University of Illinois Fighting Illini baseball program competes under NCAA Division I and Big Ten Conference rules and offers student-athletes opportunities for competition and development while also emphasizing academic achievement. The team participates in both conference and non-conference games to gain experience at a high level of intercollegiate athletics. More information about the program can be found on its official website.
