GREENWOOD, Ind.—Five Lewis & Clark College baseball players were named to the 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Baseball Academic All-District Team, the CSC announced on Tuesday morning.
Senior
Nate Kerr and juniors
Bret Potter and
Michael Aikawa were all recognized for the second time in their collegiate careers. Sophomores
Dillon Foster and
Will Michelman each were honored for the first times in their career.
The Academic All-District Teams recognize the top student-athletes for their performance on and off the field. To be eligible, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, and have competed in 90% of the team's games or started in at least 66% of the institution's games. Pitchers must have appeared in at least 17 games or pitched 35 or more innings.
Aikawa is a Biology major hailing from Piedmont, California. The junior was named to the Northwest Conference Third Team All-Conference this Spring after leading the River Otters in home runs (seven), RBI (43) and walks (30). Aikawa, who started all 41 games at third base, finished third on the team with 92 assists and notched a .943 fielding percentage. He finished second on the team with 17 multi-hit contests and led the squad with 12 multi-RBI games. Aikawa posted the best game of his season on March 7, when he went 3-5 with four runs scored and five RBI. He chipped in a double, a homer, a walk and three stolen bases in 17-6 road win over Chapman University.
Foster is a Rhetoric and Media Studies major, with a minor in Data Science, hailing from San Diego, California. The sophomore carved out a role as the team's number three starter for most of the campaign. He went 1-3 with an 8.55 earned run average across 13 appearances/six starts. Foster finished fifth on the team with 40.0 innings pitched and added 29 strikeouts against 18 walks. The sophomore threw at least three innings in eight appearances and five or more innings three times. Foster threw a career-high 5.2 innings on April 12 against George Fox University. He notched his first collegiate win on April 19. Foster allowed just three hits and two runs over five innings in a 15-2 win over Pacific University.
Kerr is a Psychology major, with a minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation, hailing from Encino, California. The senior closed out his collegiate career as one of the go-to arms out of the Lewis & Clark bullpen. He finished the season second on the team with 18 appearances (five starts) and 56.1 innings pitched. Kerr posted a 2-5 record with a 7.99 ERA and 38 strikeouts against 17 walks. He limited opponents to a .327 batting average. The senior threw at least one inning in all 18 outings and three or more innings 10 times. He threw two scoreless innings of relief and allowed two hits and one walk in the River Otters' 4-3 comeback win over Pacific University. In his final collegiate outing, Kerr threw four innings of relief and gave up two runs against Linfield University in the Northwest Conference Tournament.
Michelman is a Computer Science major hailing from Woodland Hills, California. The sophomore left fielder enjoyed a breakout campaign that saw him earn NWC Second Team All-Conference honors. Michelman finished the season second on the team in batting average (.326), slugging percentage (.504), RBI (34), doubles (nine) and walks (19). He started the final 34 games of the season and recorded 42 hits, one triple and four home runs. The sophomore posted 45 putouts and a .978 fielding percentage. He racked up 12 multi-hit games and eight multiple RBI contests. Michelman put together the best doubleheader of his season on March 7 in a doubleheader sweep of host Chapman University. He went 5-10 with seven RBI, two doubles, a home run and and a hit by pitch.
Potter is a Biology major, with a minor in Public Health, hailing from Santa Clarita, California. The junior put together the best season of his collegiate career to earn First Team All-American honors as a Utility player from D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). He served as the team's everyday starting center fielder/right fielder and closer. Potter started all 41 games and set the single-season program record with 67 hits. He also led the team with a .396 batting average, a .466 on-base percentage and a .515 slugging percentage. The junior tacked on 34 runs scored, 30 RBI, eight doubles, four home runs and 13 stolen bases. On the mound, Potter went 2-1 with a team-high five saves and notched a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings pitched. He tacked on 17 strikeouts and held opponents to a .217 batting average. He recorded a team-best 22 multi-hit contests and finished tied for second on the team with eight multiple-RBI games. Potter showcased his full skillset on April 26 in a doubleheader against Willamette University. He finished the day 6-10 with three runs scored, five RBI and a walk-off single in game one and pitched three scoreless innings and earned the win in game one.
