NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Bethany College baseball team, under the direction of this year's Presidents' Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Michael Finlan, has named six players to the All-PAC Team.
Finlan earns his first career Coach of the Year award in just his third season as the Bison's skipper becoming the fifth Bethany coach to receive the honor. This season, he led the Bison to 20 wins for the first time since 2019 and for the tenth time in program history. Finlan also took the Green and White to the PAC Tournament for the program's first postseason appearance in seven seasons. His 26 wins this season are his most as a head coach bringing his career record to 48-69-1. Bethany finished the season with a record of 26-17 and a 14-8 record in the PAC.
Earning first-team honors for the Bison is senior right-hander Payton Zupko (Mineral Ridge, Ohio) while senior second baseman Jaden Nestor-Fox (Vermilion, Ohio), junior third baseman Gian DeGenova (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park), and sophomore utility player Marco Gonzalez (Oviedo, Fla.) each earned a second-team selection. Senior left fielder Devin Toothman (East Liverpool, Ohio) and sophomore center fielder Niko Heidt (San Diego, Calif./Monte Vista) round out the Bethany all-conference honorees as they each received honorable mention.
Zupko wins his first all-conference accolade and represents the Bison on the first team after leading the Bethany pitching staff in 2026. He appeared in 15 games and made 10 starts on the mound for the Green and White where he led the team with an 8-1 record with three saves through 64 innings. Zupko set the single-season strikeouts record by fanning 66 batters and led the team with a 2.53 earned run average after holding opponents to 18 earned runs on 52 hits and 28 walks. He had a WHIP of 1.25 with just a .218 batting average against and tossed one complete game on the season. Zupko also appeared in the field in eight games with three starts as he batted .286 with four hits on the season. He also hit one double, drove in four RBI, scored two runs, and stole two bases. Zupko was named to the 2026 PAC All-Tournament Team.
In his career, Zupko has appeared in 99 games with 35 pitching appearances and has made 11 starts on the mound. He has a record of 12-2 with four saves through 97.2 innings where he has an earned run average of 4.33. Zupko has recorded 97 strikeouts and has limited opponents to 47 earned runs on 91 hits and 58 walks. Offensively, he has collected 46 hits including eight doubles, one triple, and seven home runs for a .242 batting average. Zupko has also driven in 32 RBI, scored 31 runs, and has stolen 14 bases.
Nestor-Fox earns his second All-PAC selection after appearing and starting all 43 games for the Bison this year. He was tied for the team lead in hits with 57 and scored a program-record 54 times in 2026. Nestor-Fox's hits included a team-best 12 doubles and five triples leading to a .352 average. He also drove in 36 RBI and was second on the team with 29 steals. Nestor-Fox was named Bethany's 2026 PAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as winning Bethany's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and Derek Hoffman Memorial awards.
In his Bethany career, Nestor-Fox has appeared in and started 78 games where he has a lifetime average of .372 to rank eighth all-time in Bethany baseball history. He has collected 107 hits including 22 doubles, six triples, and three home runs and has recorded 62 RBI. Nestor-Fox has also scored 91 runs in his career and has stolen 37 bases. He is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society, a two-time All-PAC selection, a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree, and an Academic All-PAC recipient.
DeGenova also earns his first All-PAC award after appearing in and starting 42 games this season. He led the team in RBI this season with 45 and in home runs with six while slugging a team-best .553. DeGenova finished the year with a .311 average with 41 hits including 12 doubles and one triple. He has also scored 41 runs and went a perfect 11-for-11 on stolen base attempts. DeGenova was named to the 2026 PAC All-Tournament Team.
In his Bethany career, DeGenova has appeared in 68 games and has made 62 starts. He has a lifetime average of .293 with 61 hits that includes 18 doubles, two triples, and six home runs. DeGenova has recorded 60 RBI, has scored 52 runs, has stolen 13 bases and is an Academic All-PAC honoree.
Gonzalez earns all-conference honors in his first season wearing the Green and White. This season, he appeared in all 43 games making 42 starts where he led the team in batting with a .377 average and 57 hits. Gonzalez also recorded eight doubles and scored 25 runs while driving in 42 RBI which was second on the team. He was also fourth on the team with 15 stolen bases. On the mound, Gonzalez finished the year with a 5-6 record through 12 appearances and 11 starts. He pitched a team-leading 65.2 innings and tossed two complete games with 64 strikeouts. Gonzalez had an earned run average of 3.97 as he held opponents to 29 earned runs on 50 hits and 24 walks. He also led the team with a 1.13 WHIP and limited opposing batters to a team-leading .206 average.
Toothman received All-PAC honorable mention after appearing in all 43 games and making 42 starts this season. He batted .303 on the year with 43 hits including seven doubles, three triples, and four home runs. Toothman also scored 40 runs and drove in 27 RBI. In the PAC Tournament, he broke another program single-season record with his 32nd, 33rd, and 34th career stolen bases finishing the year 34-for-37 on stolen base attempts.
In his career, Toothman has appeared in 124 games and has made 101 starts. He has collected 90 hits with 12 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs for a .279 lifetime average. Toothman has also driven in 54 RBI and has scored 89 runs. He currently sits at third on the program's all-time stolen bases leaderboard with 55.
Heidt also earns all-conference honorable mention as a sophomore after appearing in and starting 42 games this year. In 2026, he was third on the team with 53 hits that included eight doubles, one triple, and three home runs. Heidt finished with a .366 batting average after moving up to the lead-off spot and scored 35 runs. He also recorded 19 RBI and 18 stolen bases.
In his career, Heidt has appeared in 70 games and has made 61 starts. He has a career average of .327 with 69 hits including 12 doubles, one triple, and three home runs. Heidt has also driven in 25 RBI, has scored 47 runs, and has stolen 24 bases.
Senior Academic All-PAC first baseman Ethan McHugh (Brilliant, Ohio/Buckeye Local) was also named to the 2026 PAC Baseball Sportsmanship Team.
The Bison finished the 2026 season in the PAC Tournament with an overall record of 26-17 and a 14-8 record in the PAC.
