Four Wildcats earn Black College Nines Elite Team Honors
MARSHALL, Texas – Four Wiley University baseball student-athletes were recognized among the nation's best after earning Black College Nines Elite Team honors for the 2026 season.
First baseman Ivan Del Villar and relief pitcher Juan Pena were named to the Black College Nines Elite Second Team, while starting pitchers Estevan Baca and Nick Rodriguez earned Elite Third Team recognition.
Selections were made based on statistical information and research provided by Black College Nines, analytics provided by A. Rod White of the National Scouting Bureau, and input from coaching staffs and sports information departments. Players from NCAA Division II, NAIA, NCCAA and USCAA institutions were considered.
Del Villar capped an outstanding season by earning First Team All-HBCUAC honors after emerging as one of the conference's top offensive performers. During HBCUAC play, he ranked seventh with a .697 slugging percentage and tied for sixth with three home runs. Overall, he finished 12th in the conference with 34 runs batted in and was twice named HBCUAC Player of the Week.
The senior also excelled defensively, posting a perfect fielding percentage during conference play with 211 putouts and 10 assists at first base. Following the season, Del Villar was selected to participate in the Minority Prospects Final HBCU Showdown, featuring top players from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Pena provided Wiley with a reliable arm out of the bullpen throughout conference play. The right-hander posted a 2-0 record with one save while ranking among the HBCUAC's top 25 pitchers with 34 strikeouts. His 27.1 innings pitched were the most by any Wildcats pitcher who did not make a start.
Baca earned First Team All-HBCUAC recognition after establishing himself as one of the conference's premier starting pitchers. He tied for fourth in the HBCUAC with seven victories and ranked fourth with a 3.90 earned run average. The right-hander tossed three complete games while striking out 37 batters across 62.1 innings. Earlier in the season, he was named HBCUAC Newcomer of the Week for Feb. 16-22.
Rodriguez also turned in an impressive campaign, finishing fifth in the conference with a 3.96 ERA. He ranked among the league's top 15 with 49 strikeouts over 52.1 innings, providing Wiley with another dependable starter throughout the season. He earned Pitcher of the Week for February 9-15.
The four Black College Nines Elite Team selections cap outstanding collegiate careers for Wiley's senior class. Ivan Del Villar, Juan Pena, Estevan Baca and Nick Rodriguez each earned national recognition following exceptional 2026 seasons, highlighting their contributions to the Wildcats' program and placing them among the nation's top HBCU and small-college baseball players recognized by Black College Nines.
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 14 varsity sports, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field, softball, baseball and esports. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) and the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). Men's and women's golf, men's and women's bass fishing and women's flag football are expected additions in 2027-28.
About Black College Nines
Black College Nines was founded in 2009, as a site dedicated to telling the historical story of HBCU baseball. Soon after going online with blackcollegenines.com, an opportunity arose and with overwhelming encouragement, we expanded our coverage. While still honoring HBCU baseball's past, Black College Nines became the "go to" site for coverage of HBCU baseball's current happenings.