On January 29, the Small College Baseball Player of the Year (SCBPOTY) organization announced the launch of a premier national award dedicated to identifying the single best baseball player across all small college baseball levels. The inaugural SCBPOTY Watch List was released on March 11, and Denison senior outfielder Erik Sundgren (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny), along with Wooster senior first baseman Ryan Kramer (Chicago, IL/Latin School of Chicago), were named as two of the top 10 best players in Division III to return in 2026.
 
Sundgren is coming off a historic 2025 campaign in which he established himself as one of the nation’s premier offensive performers. He helped lead the Denison Big Red to the final site of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships for the first time in program history after the team captured their first-ever super regional title. As a junior, he led the NCAC and set Denison single-season records with 17 home runs and 81 RBI, with his home run total ranking 10th nationally. Sundgren also paced the conference in OPS (1.184), hits (76), total bases (144), and slugging percentage (.735), while tying former teammate Eric Colaco for the league lead in stolen bases with 31. He also earned ABCA/Rawlings first-team All-American honors, was selected as the ABCA/Rawlings Region 7 Position Player of the Year and claimed first-team All-NCAC recognition for the first time in his career.
 
Kramer earned his spot on the list with a hot start to 2026, collecting the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Div. III Hitter of the Month for February after hitting .636 (7-for-11) on the season with 11 RBI, eight runs scored, five walks, and three homers. Last spring, Kramer earned all-region honors for the second time and became a two-time All-NCAC selection. Kramer led the Scots in nearly every offensive category, including average (.376), at-bats (178), hits (67), doubles (16), home runs (10), and slugging percentage (.669). Kramer is looking to be the storied program's latest two-time All-American after earning the status as a sophomore and was first-team all-region by both the American Baseball Coaches Association and D3baseball.com.
 
About Small College Baseball Player of the Year (SCBPOTY)
The Small College Baseball Player of the Year is an organization dedicated to promoting and celebrating student-athletes in all levels of college baseball. For the first time, athletes from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, USCAA, and NCCAA will compete for one unified national honor. The selection process will evaluate players based on statistical dominance, impact on their team's success, and overall performance throughout the season. By casting such a wide net - covering junior colleges, and four-year small universities - the award aims to become the gold standard for small college baseball excellence. Fans, scouts, and media are encouraged to follow the race for the award and join the conversation on social media.