University of Richmond Athletics
Eight Spiders Named All A-10; Giordano, Wilson Collect Top Postseason Honors
05/19/2026 | Baseball
WASHINGTON, DC – The University of Richmond baseball team had eight members named as 2026 Atlantic 10 Conference honorees, as voted on by the league coaches, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Joey Giordano was named A-10 Pitcher of the Year while outfielder Evan Wilson was named A-10 Rookie of the Year.
Richmond, the No. 2 seed in this week's Atlantic 10 Tournament, went 20-10 in A-10 play, its best conference record since 2007.
Joining Giordano as a first team selection is first baseman Dylan Winebrenner. Second baseman Michael Elko joins Wilson as a second-team selection. Left-handed pitcher Dom Ruggiero and outfielder Chris Schaller, along with Wilson, are All-Rookie Team honorees. Right-handed pitcher Jackson Hinchliffe, outfielder RJ Johnson Jr and Winebrenner were named to the All-Academic Team.
Giordano is the first Spider pitcher since Tim Stauffer in 2003 to collect the league's top pitcher honor. In his first full season on the mound since UCL surgery, the Montvale, NJ native heads into postseason action with the nation's best record of 11-0 in 12 starts over 73.0 innings pitched. Giordano, who is also a 2026 Dick Howser Trophy Award semifinalist, is second in the A-10 with a 3.08 ERA and fourth with a 1.16 WHIP.
Wilson becomes the fifth Spider in program history to be named A-10 Rookie of the Year and first since Jordan Jaffe in 2023. The Lancaster, PA native also collected four A-10 Rookie of the Week accolades during the season, most recently on May 11 after hitting a walk-off grand slam to defeat George Washington. Wilson is third in OPS (1.113), fourth in the league in slugging percentage (.636), sixth in on base percentage (.477) and tenth in batting average (.343).
Winebrenner, the only Spider to play and start in all 55 regular season games, paces the squad offensively. The Frederick, MD native is second in the league in hit by pitch (21), fifth in home runs (15) and slugging percentage (.635), sixth in runs (57) and batting average (.356), seventh in hits (74) and eighth in on base percentage (.469). Defensively, he has a .996 fielding percentage (433 putouts, 32 assists, 2 errors).
Elko is fifth in the league with 26 stolen bases in 29 attempts and eighth with 16 hit by pitches in 52 starts at second base. The College Station, Texas native is third on the squad with a .339 average, while collecting 64 hits, including 12 doubles, two triples and seven home runs, with 38 RBI and 27 walks. Elko put together a .343 average against A-10 opponents with 36 hits, five doubles, 12 RBI, 12 hit by pitch and was 14-for-14 in stolen bases attempts.
Ruggiero posted a 3.51 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 25.2 innings pitched in 21 relief appearances, earning a 2-1 record with five saves, all against A-10 opponents. The Royersford, PA native held opponents to a .215 average at the plate while striking out 28 often in high leverage situations in weekend series.
Schaller made 41 starts in 45 appearances in centerfield while picking up 14 of 17 stolen bases on the season. The Garnet Valley, Pa. native, finished the regular season hitting .321 with a .932 OPS, .538 slugging percentage and .394 on-base percentage with 50 hits, including 14 doubles, a triple and six home runs.
Hinchliffe, the Spiders Sunday starter, finished the regular season with the second-best WHIP (1.09) and seventh-best ERA in the league (3.99). A finance major from Fair Haven, NJ, he toed the rubber 15 times, making every start he was scheduled for, the second most in the nation, throwing 67.2 innings, for a 4-5 record.
Johnson, Jr. made 41 starts in 51 appearances in the outfield this season. The Franklin, NC native finished the regular season fourth on the team with a .329 average on 51 hits, 13 doubles, and seven home runs, with 40 RBI, 21 walks and 13 hit by pitches.
The Spiders will begin Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship action Thursday at 3 PM at Capital One park against the winner of Wednesday's game between VCU and Davidson.
Richmond, the No. 2 seed in this week's Atlantic 10 Tournament, went 20-10 in A-10 play, its best conference record since 2007.
Joining Giordano as a first team selection is first baseman Dylan Winebrenner. Second baseman Michael Elko joins Wilson as a second-team selection. Left-handed pitcher Dom Ruggiero and outfielder Chris Schaller, along with Wilson, are All-Rookie Team honorees. Right-handed pitcher Jackson Hinchliffe, outfielder RJ Johnson Jr and Winebrenner were named to the All-Academic Team.
Giordano is the first Spider pitcher since Tim Stauffer in 2003 to collect the league's top pitcher honor. In his first full season on the mound since UCL surgery, the Montvale, NJ native heads into postseason action with the nation's best record of 11-0 in 12 starts over 73.0 innings pitched. Giordano, who is also a 2026 Dick Howser Trophy Award semifinalist, is second in the A-10 with a 3.08 ERA and fourth with a 1.16 WHIP.
Wilson becomes the fifth Spider in program history to be named A-10 Rookie of the Year and first since Jordan Jaffe in 2023. The Lancaster, PA native also collected four A-10 Rookie of the Week accolades during the season, most recently on May 11 after hitting a walk-off grand slam to defeat George Washington. Wilson is third in OPS (1.113), fourth in the league in slugging percentage (.636), sixth in on base percentage (.477) and tenth in batting average (.343).
Winebrenner, the only Spider to play and start in all 55 regular season games, paces the squad offensively. The Frederick, MD native is second in the league in hit by pitch (21), fifth in home runs (15) and slugging percentage (.635), sixth in runs (57) and batting average (.356), seventh in hits (74) and eighth in on base percentage (.469). Defensively, he has a .996 fielding percentage (433 putouts, 32 assists, 2 errors).
Elko is fifth in the league with 26 stolen bases in 29 attempts and eighth with 16 hit by pitches in 52 starts at second base. The College Station, Texas native is third on the squad with a .339 average, while collecting 64 hits, including 12 doubles, two triples and seven home runs, with 38 RBI and 27 walks. Elko put together a .343 average against A-10 opponents with 36 hits, five doubles, 12 RBI, 12 hit by pitch and was 14-for-14 in stolen bases attempts.
Ruggiero posted a 3.51 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 25.2 innings pitched in 21 relief appearances, earning a 2-1 record with five saves, all against A-10 opponents. The Royersford, PA native held opponents to a .215 average at the plate while striking out 28 often in high leverage situations in weekend series.
Schaller made 41 starts in 45 appearances in centerfield while picking up 14 of 17 stolen bases on the season. The Garnet Valley, Pa. native, finished the regular season hitting .321 with a .932 OPS, .538 slugging percentage and .394 on-base percentage with 50 hits, including 14 doubles, a triple and six home runs.
Hinchliffe, the Spiders Sunday starter, finished the regular season with the second-best WHIP (1.09) and seventh-best ERA in the league (3.99). A finance major from Fair Haven, NJ, he toed the rubber 15 times, making every start he was scheduled for, the second most in the nation, throwing 67.2 innings, for a 4-5 record.
Johnson, Jr. made 41 starts in 51 appearances in the outfield this season. The Franklin, NC native finished the regular season fourth on the team with a .329 average on 51 hits, 13 doubles, and seven home runs, with 40 RBI, 21 walks and 13 hit by pitches.
The Spiders will begin Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship action Thursday at 3 PM at Capital One park against the winner of Wednesday's game between VCU and Davidson.
Players Mentioned
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