ALBANY, N.Y. – Four Russell Sage College baseball players were selected for the 2024 Academic All-District® Baseball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators. Junior outfielder Brendan Espinal (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), designated hitter James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber), a graduate student, junior first baseman Jeff Stearnes (Vergennes, VT/Vergennes) and starting pitcher Joe Degroot (Clay, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse), a graduate student, represented the Gators. 

Espinal, the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year, closed the regular season atop the Conference in batting average (.453), on-base percentage (.551) and on-base plus slugging (1.239).  The junior, who tied for the team lead with 54 runs scored, registered 19 multi-hit efforts, including a trio of four hit games.  

Stearnes closed the regular season strong in helping RSC clinch the E8 Conference regular season title and hosting privilages for the E8 Championship Tournament, earning Conference Player of the Week honors for the periods ending April 28 and May 5. He commenced the playoffs tops in the E8 in homers (10), RBI (52), slugging percentage (.725), while ranking second to Espinal in batting average (.413), on-base percentage (.512), and ops (1.237).

Lubanski, a third-team All-Region selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association a season ago, holds the program single-season and career records for RBI. The grad student headed into the postseason leading the E8 with 13 doubles and tied for second with 47 RBI. He slashed .302/.369/.438 and closed the spring with 82 career RBI.

Degroot led the E8 with six victories this season. The lefty registered a 4.15 ERA across 60.2 innings, good for fourth and third among Conference pitchers.

The 2024 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.

Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced June 18.