CHICAGO – The Saint Xavier University baseball team (35-19/21-11) had seven players named to the All-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) First and Second Teams, respectively, when the awards were announced by the league office Monday afternoon after the conclusion of the CCAC Baseball Tournament that saw the Cougars reach the championship game for the second year in a row, despite forcing the if-necessary game of the double-elimination tournament, SXU came up short, losing to St. Ambrose University (Iowa) 6-4 Saturday evening in Joliet, Ill.

Four players were named All-CCAC First Team: senior pitcher Thomas Plizga (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Olivet Nazarene/Fremd), junior infielder John Simecek (Twinsburg, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), sophomore outfielder Parker Violett (Maple Park, Ill./Kaneland) and junior utility player Max Waszkiewicz (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale South).

Three earned All-CCAC Second Team honors: senior pitcher Nick Krueger (Clifton, Ill./Danville Area/Clifton Central), redshirt freshman infielder/designated hitter Jackson Michko (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) and senior utility player Shea Zbrozek (Bloomington, Ill./Danville Area/Normal Community).

Violett also won a CCAC Gold Glove for his play in left field, as did freshman infielder Trevor Corbett (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), claiming the CCAC Gold Glove as a Shortstop.

• Plizga started 12 games for Saint Xavier, coming away with a team-best six wins, and sporting an overall record of 6-2. He threw 57.1 innings with a team-best WHIP (walks+hits per nine innings) of 0.99 and a team-low opponent's batting average against of .173. Plizga had the second-best earned run average (ERA) on the team at 2.83, along with 51 strikeouts. He allowed 35 hits, 23 runs (18 earned) and he walked 22 batters. Plizga finished with a fielding percentage of .909 on 11 chances, collecting nine assists, one putout and an error.
• Simecek played in 46 of the team's 54 games with 43 starts, leading the Cougars with 48 RBI, a team-best .673 slugging percentage (minimum two plate appearance per game, and 75 percent games played) and nine home runs. He batted .371 (59-for-159) with 43 runs scored, 15 doubles and a team-high three triples. Simecek also had a team-leading 107 total bases, an on-base percentage of .442 and a team-best 1.115 OPS (on-base plus slugging). He drew 17 walks and was 23-for-28 in stolen base attempts. Simecek had a fielding percentage of .984 on 305 chances, with 283 putouts, 17 assists and just five errors. He helped turn 25 double-plays while playing primarily at first base. Simecek also made four appearances on the mound, going 1-0 in 5.1 innings of work with an ERA of 1.69 and one save. He struck out two batters with three hits, one earned run and a walk, limiting opponents to a .188 batting average and he picked off a base runner. Simecek won CCAC Player of the Week twice in 2026, on February 17 and March 24.
• Violett played in 47 of the team's 54 games with 44 starts, leading the squad with a .377 batting average (57-for-151) and belting a team-best 20 doubles. He also led the team with 31 walks and a team-high .479 on-base percentage for an OPS of 1.042. Violett scored 45 runs, tying for the team-high, with two home runs and a triple, adding 43 RBI and 85 total bases. He was 28-for34 in stolen base attempts. Violett had a perfect fielding percentage primarily in left field on 58 chances, making 56 puts and two outfield assists. He was named the CCAC Player of the Week on April 30.
• Waszkiewicz played in 49 of the team's 54 games with 45 starts, leading the team with 32 stolen bases on 38 attempts. He batted .343 (48-for-140) and tied for the team-lead in runs scored with 45. Waskiewicz had five doubles, two triples and two home runs, driving in 25 and collecting 63 total bases. He slugged .450 with an on-base percentage of .456. Waskiewicz drew 23 walks and was hit-by-pitch six times, and he led the team with seven sacrifice bunts. Splitting time between the infield and the outfield, Waszkiewicz had a .937 fielding percentage on 143 chances. He had 68 putouts, 66 assists and nine errors, helping to turn 14 double-plays.
• Krueger was the primary option out of the bullpen this season for SXU, appearing in a team-high 20 games and he made one start. He had a 5-1 record in 52. 2 innings with an ERA of 4.61 and a WHIP of 1.35. Krueger struck out 50 batters against 22 walks, allowing 49 hits and 29 runs (27 earned). He held opponents to a .241 batting average, and he tied for the team lead with two saves. He had a perfect fielding percentage of five chances with two putouts and three assists.
• Michko played in 31 of the team's games with 16 starts, slugging .788 and carrying a 1.227 OPS. He batted .348 (23-for-66) with 25 RBI, 16 runs scored, eight home runs and five doubles, collecting 52 total bases. Michko drew 11 walks, finishing with a .439 on-base percentage, and was 2-for-2 on stolen base attempts. He had a .944 fielding percentage at first base on 90 chances, totaling 83 putouts, two assists and five errors. Michko was a part of nine double-plays. He became just the fifth player in team history to hit three home runs in a game, doing so in game one of a doubleheader vs. Jusdon University (Ill.) at Richard R. Ferrell Memorial Field on April 8, adding six RBI.
• Zbrozek played in 52 of the team's 54 games with 49 starts, posting a team-high 60 hits. He batted .313 (60-for-192) from the lead-off spot, with 41 runs scored, 13 doubles, a triple and a home run, along with 34 RBI and 78 total bases. Zbrozek slugged .406 and he drew 27 walks with six hit-by-pitches for a .410 on-base percentage. He swiped 25 bases on 33 attempts. Defensively, Zbrozek also split his time between the infield and the outfield, recording a .963 fielding percentage on 136 chances. He made 101 puts with 30 assists and five steal, and was a part of one double-play.

Saint Xavier (35-19/21-11 CCAC) waits to see if it earns an at-large bid into the NAIA National Championship Opening Round when the national office announces the field on its YouTube channel on Wednesday, May 6 at 4:00 pm.