SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Highlighted by Golden Glove Award winner Aryan Patel along with first-team All-Conference choice Will Holmes, The Citadel collected six postseason honors ahead of the upcoming Southern Conference Baseball Championship opener, per announcement by the league office on Tuesday afternoon. 
 
In addition to Patel and Holmes, Andrew Buffkin and Zane Davis tallied All-SoCon second team positions at starting and relief pitcher, respectively, while Michael Gibson double dipped as a second-team pick as both a reliever and first baseman. Finally, Jayden Williams scored slots on the SoCon All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams as well.


2026 Southern Conference Baseball End-of-Season Awards | The Citadel
 
Aryan Patel: Golden Glove Award / SoCon All-Defensive Team – 3B / 2B
Patel concluded the campaign boasting a .975 fielding percentage, handling 163 chances with 64 putouts and 95 assists, and committing just four errors en route to the first Golden Glove Award in program history. Most notably, however, Patel received national acclaim when he scored the No. 1 spot in the daily SportsCenter Top 10 via ESPN the evening of Tuesday, March 31, earning the recognition for a non-routine double play during the Bulldogs' midweek home clash against No. 14 Coastal Carolina.

"Aryan Patel played all over. He's been a utility-type player for us, an absolute high-level defender," Triplett said. "Not only is he a good defender, but he also makes the people around him play at a higher level. Sure, he makes all the plays, but with him on the field, the entire team plays better defense, and I think that's a true indication of a Golden Glove-worthy player. Not only do they make all the plays, but they can make other people around them play better."

 
Will Holmes: First-Team All-SoCon – SP
The first Citadel starting pitcher since JP Sears in 2017 to secure first-team All-SoCon honors, Holmes finished the regular season with a 6-4 overall record, including a 3-2 mark in conference play. He generated a competitive 4.19 ERA over 77.1 innings on the mound, allowing 56 hits and 36 earned runs while recording a career-high 99 strikeouts. The southpaw struck out a career-best 12 against Samford on Friday, May 8 followed by another 10 against VMI on Thursday, May 14, closing the year ranked second league-wide in strikeouts.

"No one else out there is more deserving of awards than Will Holmes, given how he prepares and works, especially after coming back from an injury," The Citadel head coach Russell Triplett said. "I couldn't be happier for someone who truly deserves it. His work ethic prepares him to be a pro in everything he does. He's a great representative of The Citadel and this baseball program. He's a Bulldog through and through."

"It's a great, well-deserved honor for Will Holmes," The Citadel pitching coach James Reeves added. "He's peaking at the right time, and he's literally gotten better every outing this season. It couldn't happen to a better guy, too. He's a leader on and off the field for this team. He's a quiet leader, but he's been productive this year as our ace, and has put us in a lot of good spots to be successful. I'm super proud of him and all the work he's put in for it."

 
Andrew Buffkin: Second-Team All-SoCon – SP
Despite taking up a role in the starting rotation midway through the campaign, Buffkin managed to log a 5-2 overall record along with a 3-1 mark in league competition. He led the team and ranked second in the SoCon with a 2.57 ERA, surrendering 54 hits for 18 earned runs while setting down 47 batters on strikes across 63.0 innings of action. Notably, the right-hander also threw a complete-game shutout against Samford on Friday, May 8, a first for the program since 2019.

"Andrew Bufkin is another guy who's played a lot of different roles for us this year on our pitching staff, and he's an incredible competitor," Reeves said. "Once again, he's willing to go out there and use what he's got to the best of his ability in the zone, and it pays off when you're working ahead and getting through. It's exciting for all these guys to get recognized because they all deserve it."

"Andrew Buffkin had a great year for us, picked us up, really stepped into a number two role on Saturday, and gave us quality throughout the year," Triplett added. "He's very deserving of the honor."

 
Michael Gibson: Second-Team All-SoCon – RP / 1B
Gibson showcased his versatility throughout the season on both the mound and at the plate, wrapping up the year with a league-best seven saves behind a 4.87 ERA while also pacing the Bulldogs via a .351 batting average. As a reliever, the senior posted a 4-2 record over 44.1 frames, striking out 61 batters while giving up 43 hits for 24 earned runs. Offensively, Gibson tallied 40 hits – including eight doubles and four home runs – for 27 RBIs, and a registered .526 slugging percentage. Additionally, he concluded the year a perfect 10-for-10 on stolen bases.

"Michael Gibson is a tremendous back-end type guy, a serious competitor with high-level composure, and a winner in any situation," Triplett said.

"Michael Gibson is another incredible piece for us, both as a position player and as a pitcher," Reeves noted. "Honestly, I don't think the numbers reflect how good he was this year in a lot of spots. He's been dominant as a back-end guy. He started some games for us, contributed offensively, and played defensively. I mean, he's an incredible all-around player for our program."

 
Zane Davis: Second-Team All-SoCon – RP
Davis closed out the year with a 2-2 record and a 2.92 ERA over 24.2 innings, allowing just 16 hits and eight earned runs while setting down 14 batters on strikes.

"Zane Davis is just a super consistent competitor," Reeves said. "He always goes out there and does his job. It's not always flashy what he does, but he comes in there, he fills up the zone, and it shows that if you're willing to compete in the strike zone with multiple pitches, you can have a lot of success in this league, and it's a good league, so a lot of credit to him."

"Our bullpen was one of our strengths all year, keeping us in games, and it's nice to see Zane Davis get recognition," Triplett noted. "I thought he had some big outs and some big innings throughout the year. We put him in some tough situations, but he was consistent and got better over the course of the year."

 
Jayden Williams: SoCon All-Freshman Team / SoCon All-Defensive Team 
A true freshman out of Columbia, S.C., Williams generated a .273 batting average for the season via 48 hits, including six doubles, two triples and three home runs, for 24 RBIs. The outfielder set the tone on the bases as well, swiping a team-high 27 bags on the year en route to the second-best mark within the Southern Conference. Williams also posted a perfect fielding percentage on 131 chances with 128 putouts, and serves as the program's first SoCon All-Freshman team selection since Garrett Fulmer earned distinction in 2024.

"Jayden Williams has really put together a solid year. He's been put in some tough situations against tough competition for a freshman and has held his own, and I think he's gotten better throughout the year," Triplett said. "He's a playmaker, does it on both sides of the ball, and is going to be a tremendous player in this program down the road."


Next up, the fifth-seeded Bulldogs launch the 2026 Southern Conference Baseball Championship on Wednesday, May 20 against No. 8 VMI, with first pitch set for 9 a.m. at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.