Baseball | 5/27/2026 11:43:00 AM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – St. John Fisher University freshman pitcher Justin Christensen has been named the Region III Rookie of the Year by D3Baseball.com, headlining a strong showing for the Cardinals on the 2026 ABCA and D3Baseball.com All-Region teams.
Christensen earned first-team All-Region recognition from both the ABCA and D3Baseball.com. Senior first baseman Jack Griffin was named to the ABCA first team and the D3Baseball.com second team. Sophomore outfielder Jordan Perry earned second-team honors from both outlets, while junior pitcher Robert Leach was named to the ABCA third team. Freshman catcher Hunter Fales and junior outfielder Jackson Frey each earned second-team and third-team recognition, respectively, from D3Baseball.com.
Christensen, who also earned first-team All-Empire 8 recognition, capped a remarkable debut season that saw him go 7-0 with a 1.77 ERA across 12 appearances, including nine starts. The South Glens Falls native struck out 68 batters in just 45.2 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .160 batting average and allowing only nine earned runs all season. He was equally impressive in the Empire 8 Tournament, throwing seven innings of shutout ball in a 3-0 win over SUNY Brockport.
Griffin, the Empire 8 Player of the Year, put together one of the most prolific offensive seasons in program history. He hit .423 with a nation-leading 24 doubles and 116 total bases, while leading the Empire 8 with a .542 on-base percentage, .744 slugging percentage and 1.286 OPS. He also ranked in the conference's top five with 66 hits, 52 runs scored, 54 RBI and 35 walks, reaching base in 41 of 42 games this season. This was Griffin's second time earning has earned All-Region honors.
Perry hit .398 with 72 hits, 15 doubles, four home runs and 47 RBI over 42 games, adding 52 runs scored and 10 stolen bases while committing just one error in the outfield.
Leach went 7-2 with a 3.44 ERA over 13 appearances, striking out 49 batters across 49.2 innings while allowing just 19 earned runs.
Fales hit .337 with 31 hits, 11 doubles and three home runs in 26 games, reaching base at a .466 clip. Frey was one of Fisher's most well-rounded hitters, batting .311 with a team-leading 10 triples among his 47 hits, while driving in 56 runs in 41 games.
The Cardinals finished the 2026 season 30-12 overall and 16-6 in Empire 8 play, their highest win total since the 2023 season.
