GREENWOOD, Ind. –  College Sports Communicators unveiled its 2026 Academic All-District teams for Baseball on Tuesday, with five Norse, Jake Paulick, Josh Williams, Logan Wilson, Ethan Thomas, and EJ Miramontes all earning the distinction. 

The 2026 Horizon League Player of the Year and a Horizon League All-Academic Selection, Jake Paulick earned Academic All-District honors following a historic season. The Northern Kentucky catcher was the best hitter in the Horizon League in 2026, leading the conference in OPS, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, walks, and runs. On the season, he posted a .341 average with a 1.131 OPS, with 63 hits, 56 runs, 51 RBI, 14 home runs, and 14 doubles in 50 games. Paulick was outstanding in Horizon League play, hitting .411 with a 1.263 OPS, 31 runs, 24 RBI, 12 doubles, and six homers in 24 games against conference opponents. Behind the dish, Paulick recorded 248 putouts and recorded 30 assists with a .986 fielding percentage, and caught 14 of 43 stolen base attempts. Paulick earned a pair of Horizon League Batter of the Week awards earlier this season and was named an All-Academic selection last week. Paulick was also named as the starting catcher on the All-League First Team. Paulick graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance this spring with a 3.531 GPA. 

Josh Williams earned Academic All-District honors, as he was named to the Horizon League All-League Second Team this season, hitting .333 with a 1.018 OPS in 49 games for the Norse. Williams led the team in doubles with 18 and extra-base hits with 31, hitting 11 homers on the season. Williams drove in 49 runs and scored 47 times, stealing 12 bases on 14 attempts. The Norse right fielder was always a threat to have a big game, showcased by his three-homer game against Morehead State and a six-hit game in NKU's 30-9 win over Oakland that set a new single-game record for individual hits. In the outfield, Williams recorded 124 putouts and six outfield assists with a .970 fielding percentage. Williams graduated with a bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Integrated Studies this spring with a 3.64 GPA. 

Logan Wilson earned a spot on the Academic All-District team, after being one of NKU's most reliable pitchers throughout the 2026 campaign. Wilson threw 48 innings, the third most on the team, with a 9.00 ERA and a 37 strikeouts on the season. He finished the year with a 2-4 record, with both of his wins coming in Horizon League play. Wilson graduated with a Bachelor's in General Business with a 3.66 GPA this spring. 

Ethan Thomas was named Academic All-District, as he earned the Horizon League All-League Second Team nod at first base, as the Norse slugger was one of the best hitters in the league in his lone season with Northern Kentucky. Thomas hit .315 on the year with a .968 OPS, finishing third on the squad with nine home runs. Thomas scored 38 runs and drove in 38 on the year, hitting 12 doubles in 48 games. He also provided a steady glove at first, leading the Norse with 328 putouts and a .994 fielding percentage, receiving 30 double plays on the season. Thomas earned his master's of business administration from Northern Kentucky this spring. 

EJ Miramontes earned Academic All-District honors and was also named to the Horizon League All-League Second Team. Miramontes led the Norse in innings pitched, starts, ERA, wins, and batting average against among players with ten or more innings. The Clint, Texas native threw 56.2 innings on the year with a 5.40 ERA in 13 starts, finishing 4-4 on the season. In eight Horizon League starts, Miramontes recorded a 4.14 ERA and a 4-2 record, including a seven-inning complete game victory over Milwaukee, where he struck out six and allowed just one run. Miramontes earned his Master's of Science in Cybersecurity this spring. 

The 2025-26 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 baseball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

View the full list of 2026 Academic All-District teams here.

FOLLOW NKU NORSE BASEBALL
Get in the game and follow Northern Kentucky's NCAA Division I college baseball team through @NKUNorseBSB on X (Twitter), @NKUNorseBSB on Instagram, nkunorsebsb on Facebook and subscribe to the NKU Norse Youtube channel.