GENEVA, N.Y.—The 13 seniors on the Hobart baseball team that missed Sunday's Hobart and William Smith Commencement ceremony to compete in the NCAA Salisbury Regional championship game, officially received their diplomas in a special ceremony Monday morning.
 
Surrounded by family, friends, teammates and members of the HWS faculty and staff, Drew Bolduc of West Springfield, Mass., Peter Dunham of Syracuse, N.Y., Aaron Forgues of Leominster, Mass., Jackson Fowle of Rye, N.Y., Max Friedlander of Victor, N.Y., Nate Garrett of Duxbury, Mass., Johnny Hill of New Albany, Ohio, Will Jones of West Barnstable, Mass., Alex Marancik of Sandwich, Mass., Evan Munuz of Sudbury, Mass., Teck Nash of Cicero, N.Y., Christian Petry of Plaistow, N.H., and Cole Tarrant of Colchester, Vt., donned caps-and-gowns and were presented with their diplomas by President Mark D. Gearan.
 
In his remarks to the graduates and their families, President Gearan noted the records and awards this year's team earned, highlighting their academic accomplishments. He also touched on the themes and messages of the speakers from Sunday's Commencement and referenced the immortal words of legendary Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson: "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
 
"Robinson knew that what you achieve matters most when it lifts others," Gearan said.
 
One of four team captains, Jones, who will be commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps next month, spoke on behalf of his classmates.
 
"I think all of us will agree that that task (building the team's culture) was a lot easier than we thought because of the strong culture already ingrained in the HWS student body. The kindness people show here, their thoughtfulness and initiative to help others. But most importantly, the courage to do the right thing. These traits and more shape our culture on the team," Jones said.
 
The Class of 2026 is the first group of baseball seniors to play all four years since the program returned to varsity status in 2023 after a 27-year hiatus. They built the program's culture and standards going from nine wins that first spring to a program record 32 victories this season.
 
Hobart earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament this season, the program's first NCAA bid since 1992. The Statesmen opened NCAA play with a 4-1 win over No. 14 Mount Union, marking the program's first NCAA tournament victory and the Class of 2026's first win over a nationally ranked opponent. Their postseason run came to an end on Sunday when No. 8 Salisbury was able to eke out a 4-3 win in 12 innings.
 
The historic 2026 campaign saw Hobart top nearly three dozen team and individual season records, including most runs, most hits, most doubles and most RBIs. The Statesmen secured the Liberty League Pitcher of the Year, the Liberty League Rookie of the Year and the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year awards and placed five players on the all-league teams.
 
Baseball is the oldest sport at HWS, tracing its origins back to 1860.