GREENWOOD, Ind. – Andres Matias, Gavin Alveti, Ryker Walton, Brody Lanham, and DJ Merriweather of Austin Peay State University's baseball team were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Baseball Team.
Matias of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, played and started in 49 games at shortstop for the Governors this season. He was a .299 hitter with 13 doubles and six home runs, while driving in 44 runs. Matias was an Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week after his series at Bellarmine on March 16, as he drove in 12 RBI over the course of the week. Matias earned his master's in business administration with a 4.0 GPA.
A Searcy, Arkansas native, Alveti led the Governors with 21 appearances on the mound and six saves. Alveti finished the year with a 3.16 ERA and a 2.61 ERA in ASUN games, which was the fourth-lowest in the league. He was a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason and midseason Stopper of the Year watch list candidate. Alveti earned his bachelor's degree in history with a 4.0 GPA.
Walton, a native of Potosi, Missouri, transitioned into a starter role on the mound in week one of conference play at Bellarmine in mid-March. He finished the season with a 2-4 record and a 5.36 ERA across 43.2 innings of work, which was the third-most of any Governor this season. Walton earned his master's in business administration with a 4.0 GPA.
Lanham of Clarksville, Tennessee, made 19 relief appearances on the mound for the Governors this season. The right-hander finished the season with an even 2-2 record and a 7.66 ERA. He also picked up his first-career save at Eastern Kentucky (April 2), when he tossed a season-high four scoreless innings and struck out three batters. Lanham earned his bachelor's in finance with a 3.7 GPA.
Merriweather, also a Clarksville, Tennessee native, made 14 appearances on the mound, starting eight of those games. He finished the season tied for the team lead with four wins with his 4-2 record, while also pitching to a 5.25 ERA. The southpaw also led the Governors with 67 strikeouts across 60 innings of work. At the dish, he collected six hits in 30 at-bats, with half of them being home runs. He hit three on the season, which included his inside-the-park homer at Eastern Kentucky (April 3), which was his first-career home run. Merriweather has a 3.77 GPA and is pursuing a degree in leadership science.
The 2026 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. Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second-, and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced June 23.
