2026 ACC Baseball Midseason Awards: Vahn Lackey & Top Stars

The season has officially reached the midway point, and teams are starting to separate in the standings. The cream is rising to the top, and the NCAA Tournament will be here before we know it. The first eight weeks of the 2026 season have provided plenty of incredible moments, record-setting performances, and thrilling games. Which means it is time for some midseason awards!

While the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have started and stayed at the top, the rest of the ACC has seen its fair share of ups and downs. 

There is a long way to go, with plenty more twists and turns, but let’s take a moment to recognize some individual greatness from the first half of the season.

On behalf of Just Baseball, I’m handing out 10 first-half awards to some of the best individual performances for the 2026 ACC Baseball Midseason Awards. If you’re interested in the SEC, check out Hunter Shelton’s Midseason Awards article.

ACC Player of the 1st Half: C Vahn Lackey (Georgia Tech)

Stats (32 G):  .414/.531/.819, 48 H (10 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR), 42 RBI, 26 BB, 7 SB 

Vahn Lackey is the early frontrunner for ACC Player of the Year. He’s the best performing player on the best team in the conference, and he plays a premium defensive position. 

When ACC coaches vote on Player of the Year at the end of the season, don’t be surprised if they choose Lackey over players with slightly better numbers. For recent evidence of that trend, see 2023 (Kyle Teel) and 2025 (Alex Lodise).

The Suwanee, Georgia native is among the ACC’s Top 5 in batting average (.414), on-base percentage (.531), OPS (1.350), and runs (45). He’s among the Top 10 in slugging (.819), home runs (11), and runs batted in (42).

In terms of advanced statistics, Lackey boasts a 2.79 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), which is second in the ACC behind Tague Davis. His 197 WRC+ is tied with Davis for fourth in the ACC.

The junior backstop has enjoyed a sensational first half of the season, standing out in a lineup that might end up as one of the best offenses in recent memory. Lackey entered 2026 coming off a breakout sophomore campaign, where he slashed .347/.421/.500.

Lackey’s slugging improvement has been staggering– after hitting just five balls over the fence in 2025 (one of his six total homers was inside-the-park), the future first-round pick has already swatted 11 through 32 games this year.

It’s been a steady development over his three years at Georgia Tech, as Lackey started 26 games behind the dish as a freshman in 2024. He was a defense-first catcher, struggling to a .214 batting average over 84 at-bats.

As a sophomore, the offensive jump was focused on the hit tool, where he consistently sprayed singles back up the middle into center field while adding 14 doubles and a triple. There was an occasional pop in the bat, but nothing like we’ve seen in the first half. 

The defense, the hit tool, and his freakish athleticism alone put Lackey alongside Arkansas backstop Ryder Helfrick as the top two catching prospects ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft.

In 2026, he’s added legitimate power to all fields to his skillset, which could see him end up as a Top-5 pick. 

He’s an athletic anomaly, and Georgia Tech head coach James Ramsey has mentioned multiple times that Lackey would be an above-average defender at any position on the field. 

To prove that, he played all eight defensive positions against West Georgia last month. Lackey also started at first base a handful of times this season when regular starter Kent Schmidt was out injured. 

Last season, he frequently started at third base to give freshman catcher Drew Rogers playing time behind the plate. 

Tague Davis (Louisville), Lorenzo Carrier (Pitt), and Myles Bailey (Florida State) were the three other nominees considered for this award.

Davis has the most impressive numbers of the group and leads the ACC with 19 home runs and 63 runs batted in. He’s slashing .394/.484/.902 and boasts the conference’s top WAR at 2.96. 

Davis has five more homers and 12 more RBI than anyone else in the ACC. While Louisville has struggled at times this season, Tague Davis has consistently delivered and would be a fine candidate for ACC Player of the Year.

Myles Bailey suffered a gruesome season-ending injury late in a game against Duke on March 28th, but his first half ranks up there amongst anyone in the country. He’s missed five straight games and is still second in the ACC with 14 long balls.

The sophomore slugger was slashing .373/.594/.940 with an ACC-best 1.534 OPS. He was leading the conference in walks and had significantly reduced his K-rate. 

While he won’t be in the discussion at the end of the season, Myles Bailey deserves recognition for an incredible first half.

Fans have been waiting on the Lorenzo Carrier breakout for four years, and the fifth-year senior has finally arrived in a big way. He’s cooled down in recent weeks, but still ranks among the conference leaderboards in offensive statistics.

ACC Pitcher of the 1st Half: Chris Levonas (Wake Forest)

Stats (8 G): 7-1, 2.08 ERA, 43.1 IP, 14 BB, 73 K

The ACC Pitcher of the Year race is wide open heading into the second half, but Chris Levonas might be the frontrunner at the halfway point. Levonas has anchored an inconsistent Wake Forest pitching staff and put up some filthy numbers.

In eight starts on the weekend for Levonas, he’s 7-1 with a dazzling 2.08 ERA. He leads the ACC with 73 strikeouts while tossing 43.1 innings so far. The most earned runs he’s given up in a game is three, and it occurred just once this season.

The only time this season that the former 2nd Round MLB Draft pick hurled less than five innings came on opening weekend in Puerto Rico, when he tossed 3.2 shutout innings against Washington and struck out nine batters.

As a freshman last season, Levonas went 3-1 with a 5.91 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 35.0 innings of work. There were struggles with command and control, as evidenced by 20 walks and five HBPs.

He showed the biggest glimpse of stardom on April 17th against High Point, going five one-hit innings while striking out 10 batters. It was just the fifth appearance of Levonas’s career, but it was the first in front of the Wake Forest home fans.

The Demon Deacon ace has been electric in every start and has held opposing batters to a meager .156 batting average, the lowest in the ACC. 

The other nominees considered included Jack Radel (Notre Dame), Wes Mendes (Florida State), Lucas Hartman (Virginia), and John Abraham (Florida State).

Levonas, Radel, and Mendes are neck-and-neck at this point of the year, and it’s anyone’s guess as to which will end up winning ACC Pitcher of the Year, but the race is wide open and could see another prominent starter or dominant reliever pull ahead.

Jack Radel has enjoyed some incredible moments this year, including a stretch where he retired 38 batters in a row between February 13th and February 27th. In eight starts for Notre Dame, he’s 3-2 with a 2.85 ERA and 64 strikeouts over 47.1 innings. 

On February 20th, at the Live Like Lou Jax College Classic, he threw six perfect innings on 68 pitches. In a 6-0 win over Clemson, Radel went the distance with a 117-pitch complete game shutout.

Radel leads the ACC with a 1.84 pitching WAR, and is Top-5 in innings pitched, strikeouts, opposing batting average, and WHIP. The South Dakota kid posted eight or more strikeouts in six of his eight starts. 

Florida State Friday night arm Wes Mendes is the third ace who enjoyed a monster first half. He’s 6-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 45.2 innings pitched. Six of his eight starts have seen him throw seven or more strikeouts, hitting 12 twice.

Mendes has been a beacon of consistency– every start has gone at least five innings, and he’s yet to allow more than four earned runs in an outing. He was named ACC Pitcher of the Week on March 30th after 6.2 scoreless innings and 12 Ks vs Duke.

The junior southpaw leads ACC starting pitchers in ERA and is among the Top 5 in pitching WAR (1.69), innings pitched, strikeouts (65), and opposing batting average (.188).

While this trio enjoyed the best first halves of the 2026 season, don’t be surprised if fellow starting pitchers Jason DeCaro (UNC), Ryan Marohn (NC State), or Jacob Dudan (NC State) force their way into the conversation with strong second halves.

Several relievers might make some noise as well. Virginia’s Lucas Hartman leads the ACC with 19 appearances and has a 2.09 ERA. UNC freshman Caden Glauber has been dominant as well, sporting a 2.00 ERA over 36 innings.

And Florida State reliever John Abraham might be the best bullpen arm in the entire country, and while he doesn’t quite have enough innings to qualify among the ACC leaders, he does carry a 0.61 ERA over 29.1 innings. 

ACC Freshman of the 1st Half: Caden Glauber (North Carolina)

Stats (13 G): 3-0, 2.00 ERA, 36.0 IP, 17 BB, 45 K, 3 Saves

Comparing a pitcher with a handful of position players is never easy, but the impact Caden Glauber has had in high-leverage situations for North Carolina is undeniable. His days as a reliever may be numbered, as he’s fully stretched out and capable.

Glauber has single-handedly saved Carolina from disaster on multiple occasions. In his most recent outing, on April 3rd, against #22 Boston College, the true freshman tossed 97 pitches in relief and stifled a hot Birdball offense.

Jason DeCaro, who was extremely ill that day, ground through nearly three no-hit innings before making way for Glauber. The right-hander ate almost the rest of the game away before allowing Walker McDuffie to close out the game.

UNC was down in the series after losing the night before, and if the freshman didn’t perform, the Tar Heels would be in danger of losing a home ACC series and be facing a potential sweep right in the face.

Glauber burst onto the scene in the first weekend of ACC play when Carolina looked to be on the verge of a catastrophic sweep at home to Virginia. 

The Tar Heels trailed 4-1 after three innings and were poised to explode after their 22-run output in the two previous games. Glauber entered the game and kept Virginia off the scoreboard in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th innings.

The youngster’s heroic efforts allowed the UNC offense to rally and tie the game, 5-5. Carolina would come back twice more in the later innings before fellow freshman Tyler Howe delivered a walk-off winner in the bottom of the 12th.

Without Glauber, UNC would’ve likely been swept and started ACC play 0-3. Instead, the Tar Heels won nine of 10 ACC contests heading into the BC series. On the year, the kid affectionately nicknamed “Globe” is 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 3 saves.

Nine of Glauber’s 13 appearances have lasted multiple innings, and eight of them have been scoreless outings. He’s appeared multiple times in two different ACC series, as he’s become Carolina’s co-bullpen ace alongside McDuffie.

Glauber has by far been the best freshman arm so far this season, and his overall rankings amongst ACC veterans are no fluke. He’s third in the conference in opposing batting average (.171), third in ERA, and second in appearances.

All four of the other nominees considered for Freshman of the 1st Half are position players: outfielder Teddy Tokheim (Stanford), outfielder Rett Johnson (NC State), shortstop Jett Kenady (Cal), and catcher Alonzo Alvarez (Miami). 

Stanford’s Teddy Tokheim currently leads the ACC with a .425 batting average and already has 20 extra base hits on the year, despite only amassing 87 at-bats. He’s walked more than he’s struck out, and boasts a gaudy 1.395 OPS in 21 starts.

Rett Johnson didn’t start during NC State’s opening weekend in Puerto Rico due to injury, but once he got going, he didn’t stop. The prototypical lead-off man is the engine of the Wolfpack offense, slashing .412/.523/.529 with nine doubles.

Jett Kenady wasn’t highly-touted amongst Cal’s recruits, but he lit up the fall analytic leaderboards and took the starting shortstop job in the preseason. He’s been the Golden Bears’ best player, slugging 19 extra base hits while batting .344. 

Because Miami’s starting catcher, Alex Sosa, is one of the best backstops in the conference, freshman Alonzo Alvarez is mostly serving as the designated hitter these days. 

The defense is going to be strong, but the bat is real– Alvarez is slashing .333/.453/.575 with 13 extra base hits, and 19 walks over his first 28 collegiate games.

ACC Newcomer of the 1st Half: C Mark Quatrani (Notre Dame)

Stats (27 G):  .361/.450/.694, 39 H (4 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR), 35 RBI, 11 BB

There were a lot of inter-conference transfers that don’t qualify as newcomers, so the likes of AJ Gracia (Duke to Virginia), Jarren Advincula (Cal to Georgia Tech), and Hideki Prather (Clemson to Cal) aren’t options for this award.

While there are several true newcomer options that are deserving, Notre Dame’s Mark Quatrani gets the nod. In 2025, the Irish saw catcher Carson Tinney break out and develop into one of the nation’s best backstops– only to see him depart for Texas.

While Notre Dame was returning the likes of Bino Watters, Davis Johnson, and Parker Brzustewicz, the loss of Tinney left a gaping hole in their lineup. Due to Notre Dame’s strict academic standards, it’s nearly impossible to sign undergrad transfers.

Mark Quatrani is the only undergraduate transfer that Notre Dame has seen over Shawn Stiffler’s four years as head coach. The junior lit up the Ivy League for two seasons as Cornell’s best hitter, and his academic record speaks for itself.

Quatrani has provided strong defense and provided consistent offensive production since arriving on campus. In fact, he’s been Notre Dame’s best hitter all season and leads the team with 10 home runs on the year.

The Philadelphia native is hitting .361 with four doubles, a triple, and the aforementioned 10 long balls. Quatrani leads the Irish in most offensive categories and has checked in with multi-hit games in nearly half of his starts.

Without the slugging catcher, Notre Dame would be in trouble. His presence in the middle of the order is key to an Irish offense that is as good as it’s been in the Shawn Stiffler era.   

The other nominees who were considered have all made a big impact on their new schools: outfielder and backup catcher Nate Savoie (Clemson), right-handed pitcher Lucas Hartman (Virginia), and catcher and outfielder Cider Canon (Duke).

Like Quatrani, Nate Savoie has been the most consistent bat on his team. The former Loyola Marymount star has taken well to the ACC, hitting .331 with eight doubles, 10 home runs, and 38 runs batted in. 

With Clemson scuffling and dealing with injuries, Savoie’s steady presence and production have been massive. 

Duke catcher Cider Canon was having an incredible start to the season when he suffered a leg injury on March 1st in a win over Princeton that will keep him sidelined until May.

While serving as the Blue Devils’ primary catcher and dabbling in the outfield, Canon was slashing .452/.574/.952 with six home runs and nine stolen bases in just 42 at-bats. 

When his injury was announced, the junior slugger had just earned ACC Player of the Week honors after going 9-for-14 with four home runs and 10 RBI over five games against UNC-Wilmington and Princeton.

While Duke is certainly missing his game-changing bat, back-up catcher Matthew Strand and designated hitter Kaden Smith have stepped up in his absence.

Virginia’s Lucas Hartman is the only pitcher nominee, and the graduate transfer from Western Kentucky is on pace to break the UVA record for appearances in a season. As it stands, he’s also fourth in the ACC with a 2.09 ERA. 

ACC Coach of the 1st Half: Todd Interdonato (Boston College)

The preseason coaches’ poll ranked the Boston College Eagles last of the league’s 16 teams. Yet on April 8th, Todd Interdonato’s Birdballers are ranked #23 in the country after starting ACC play 9-6 with series wins at Miami and against Virginia.

It is the third year of the Interdonato era, and the Eagles have fully embraced the unique offensive system that he made famous while coaching at Wofford. The strength of the team, however, is the depth and talent of the pitching staff.

Over 34 games, the Eagles boast a 3.83 team ERA, which is good for second in the ACC so far this season. If the season ended today, BC would possess the 4th-seed in the ACC Tournament and have a double-bye into the quarter-finals.

Despite multiple 40-win seasons at Wofford and three-straight regular-season SOCON titles, Interdonato has never made the NCAA Tournament as a head coach. If the Eagles can keep up their success, that will change by late May.

Of the other nominees, only James Ramsey (Georgia Tech) entered the season with high expectations. Corey Muscara (Duke), Shawn Stiffler (Notre Dame), and Mike Bell (Pitt) are each in the conversation after overachieving in the first half of the year.

In the preseason, most polls and predictions had Pitt and Duke on the outside of the NCAA Tournament picture. Both are bubble teams as it stands, and it’s a testament to the programs’ head coaches that they’re in this position at the midway mark.

James Ramsey might be a first-year head coach, but he’s been building this Georgia Tech squad for years as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. 

The nation’s best offense is yet to lose a series, and the pitching has been the best of Power 4 schools over the last nine games. 

Shawn Stiffler and Notre Dame got off to a quick start in ACC play, surging out to a 6-3 start after sweeping Clemson in South Bend. While the bullpen has struggled as of late, the progress Notre Dame has made over the last few years is evident.

ACC Performance of the 1st Half: Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey plays 8 positions, nearly hits for the cycle 

In a game on March 10th against West Georgia, Vahn Lackey became the first Georgia Tech player in its 131-year program history to play all eight defensive positions in a single game.

The feat is even rarer than a perfect game and has been accomplished only five times in MLB history. It’s unknown how many times the feat has been accomplished in D-I college baseball, but it doesn’t happen too often.

Florida State legend Buster Posey and Texas standout Jake McKenzie are the only ones to have done it in recent memory, and now Vahn Lackey’s name lives among them in college baseball lore.

While he didn’t pitch, Lackey played all eight other positions during a run-rule shortened 14-0 midweek win. As if this rare feat wasn’t enough, Vahn Lackey was a single away from hitting for the cycle when he stepped into the batter’s box in the 6th.

While he grounded out sharply to second base to end his bid at one of the greatest individual performances of all-time, the display was more than enough to be the conference’s best of the season.  

Each of the other nominees was a pitching performance. This includes Michael Sharman’s 78-pitch complete game win for Clemson over archrival South Carolina and Trey Beard’s 14-strikeout, no-hit bid for Florida State over Wake Forest.

Jack Radel’s perfect 6-inning outing for Notre Dame in the Live Like Lou Jax College Classic and Florida State’s combined no-hitter against Bethune-Cookman were also considered.

ACC Play of the 1st Half: Notre Dame’s Drew Berkland Gives and Takes a Home Run in the Same Inning

In the rubber match of an ACC opening series, Drew Berkland essentially won a game by himself with two plays in the 6th inning of Notre Dame’s 2-0 win over Duke on March 8th.

The score was deadlocked at 0-0 as players all over the field flashed the leather for five full innings in Durham. Then, to lead off the Top of the 6th, Notre Dame centerfielder Drew Berkland launched a backside bomb to draw first blood. 

In the bottom of the 6th, with two outs and a runner on second, Blue Devil designated hitter Kaden Smith lined a fly ball that looked destined to go over the fence. 

Berkland floated back, back, back, timed his jump, and made a leaping grab to rob a two-run blast, ending the inning and keeping the Irish lead intact. 

Those two singular plays in the 6th inning resulted in Notre Dame winning the game and a crucial road series.

Other nominees include NC State’s Ty Head robbing Georgia Tech’s Kent Schmidt of a three-run homer on March 28th, and Eric Becker’s dazzling spin and throw to rob Wake Forest’s Boston Torres of a hit in Virginia’s win over the Deacs on March 22nd.  

ACC Best Vibes of the 1st Half: RHP Lucas Hartman (Virginia)

Stats (19 G): 5-0, 2.09 ERA, 38.2 IP, 12 BB, 42 K

The first thing one notices about Virginia’s bullpen ace is the appearance. Complete with mustache, tattoos, and a dad-adjacent physique, the graduate transfer looks more like a beleaguered father playing in a Sunday League softball game than one of the ACC’s elite relievers.

As if his appearance didn’t create enough aura, the Florida-native returned home over the winter break and worked a blue-collar job as a window cleaner, earning Employee of the Month honors before returning to school.

He then dominated ACC hitters over the first half of the season and sits fourth among all qualified conference arms with a 2.09 ERA. He’s brought his blue-collar work ethic to UVA, as evidenced by his staggering 19 appearances in just 34 team games.

When he’s not punching out batters or cleaning windows, Hartman can often be seen pulling tarp, raking the infield, or hitting groundballs with a fungo during pre-game batting practice. The vibes of this jack of all trades are truly unmatched.

Another nominee considered was NC State’s Andrew Wiggins, who played the National Anthem on his saxophone before a game this season. Wake Forest freshman shortstop JD Stein might be the happiest player in the conference, and his ever-present wide grin is contagious.

And how about the vibes of Boston College and the magic of Birdball? The Eagles’ faithful set attendance records in late March against Virginia in frigid weather and made their presence known on social media.

ACC Breakthrough of the 1st Half: OF Lorenzo Carrier (Pitt)

Stats (30 G): .396/.563/.871, 40 H (5 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR), 50 RBI, 36 BB, 4 SB

There are few better stories in college baseball than the veteran that sticks around and then finally breaks through into a starring role. Lorenzo Carrier is finally experiencing the breakthrough that he dreamed of over three years at Miami and two in Pittsburgh.

Carrier played 95 games in Coral Gables, but struggled to find consistent playing time despite glimmers of five-tool ability. As a redshirt junior, he transferred to Pitt, where he was limited to just 36 games while dealing with injury.

After hitting .268 with five doubles, six home runs, and just 22 walks in 2025, the breakthrough finally occurred. So far this season, he’s slashing .396/.563/.871 with 20 extra base hits, including a career high 13 long balls.

Over three seasons in Miami, Carrier only hit 11 home runs combined. He’s a legitimate ACC Player of the Year candidate and is a key cog in Pitt’s elite offense.

Every other name considered here was a lifer for their program. Duke Friday night ace Aidan Weaver is in his fourth season, as is Clemson infielder Jay Dillard, who is a redshirt junior. 

Outfielder Nick Locurto has been waiting for his opportunity at Virginia Tech for three years and is making the most of regular opportunities. And Virginia first baseman Antonio Perrotta is showing off his prowess in his third season on Grounds.

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