GORHAM, Maine  – Three members of the 2026 Little East Conference Champion University of Southern Maine Huskies' baseball team have earned 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. Earning the academic distinction are graduate student Kyle Douin (Augusta, Maine/Cony), and juniors Gabe Gifford (Bradley, Maine/Old Town) and Mike Anquillare (North Haven, Conn.). 
 
To be eligible for Academic All-District recognition student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically with a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher. They also must have competed in 90 percent or started in 66 percent of their institution's games. For baseball pitchers, it is 17 appearances or 35 innings pitched. The 2025-26 Academic All-District Baseball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
 
Recently named the 2026 Little East Conference Pitcher of the Year, the eighth in program history and first since Ben Lambert '21 in 2019, Gifford finished an outstanding first year with the Huskies with a 5-2 record in 14 appearances and 10 starts.  Firing a team-leading 64.1 innings, Gifford carried a 2.94 earned run average and a 1.32 WHIP.  Holding his opponents to a .224 batting average, Gifford amassed 82 strikeouts, leading the Little East Conference, and ranked 25^th in NCAA Division III baseball. Gifford was recently named first team ABCA All-Region, and is earning his degree in Sport Management.
 
Now a two-time Academic All-District performer, Anquillare is also a two-time All-Little East Conference outfielder for the Huskies, earning second team honors as the team's starting left fielder.  Hitting a career-best .354 (57-for-161) with 43 runs scored and 52 RBI, Anquillare collected six doubles, two triples and eight home runs in 2026. Tying the Huskies' single-game record for home runs in a game (3) and RBI in a game (9), Anquillare was 4-for-6 at the plate in a lopsided 23-5 (7 inning) conference win at Plymouth State. Earning ABCA All-Region third team honors, Anquillare completed his undergraduate degree in Secondary Education (History) and will begin graduate school in the fall.
 
Douin a two-time Academic All-American (2024 and 2025), advances to the national ballot for consideration of Academic All-America honors again in 2026.  Earning LEC Player of the Year honors for the second time in his career (2024, 2026), Douin had a remarkable final campaign becoming the program's all-time leader in home runs (38) and RBI (210).  Hitting a career-best .443 in 2026, Douin was 81-for-183 at the plate with 70 runs scored and a team-leading 72 RBI, collecting 16 doubles, four triples and 13 home runs. Recently named both the ABCA Region II Player of the Year and the D3Baseball.com Region II Player of the Year, Douin earned All-American honors from both organizations, earning second team honors from the ABCA and first team honors from d3baseball.com. Previously earning his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, Douin is completing his Master's degree in Leadership Studies.
 
Southern Maine ends the season with a record of 32-12, the program's most wins since the 2021 team went 34-11. The 2026 Little East Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champions, the Huskies reached the NCAA Tournament for the 27th time in program history and the first time since 2021.
 
 
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