Wayne State College senior shortstop Nate Cunningham has received another post-season honor as the Elkhorn North graduate was named Wednesday morning to the 2026 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division II All-Central Region First Team.  Selections were voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and with his First Team selection Cunningham advances to the All-American ballot with ABCA/Rawlings All-American Teams to be announced Friday morning prior to the start of the Division II College World Series in Cary, North Carolina.
            Cunningham earned All-NSIC First Team honors and was voted by league coaches as the NSIC Player of the Year following a standout senior season, posting a .359 batting average with 15 home runs and 54 RBI while ranking in the top 10 of the NSIC in nine major statistical categories.
            He was the lone Wildcat to start and play all 52 games this season and led the NSIC in hits (71) and at bats (198), tied for third in home runs, fifth in slugging percentage (.682), seventh in batting average, eighth in runs scored (53) and RBI and ninth in stolen bases.
            Cunningham had 24 multi-hit games and 15 games with multiple RBI and was named NSIC Player of the Week March 16^th after going 9 for 15 (.600) at the plate in a three-game sweep over Minnesota Crookston with two home runs, one triple and 11 RBI.  He is the first Wildcat player since Joe Wendte (went – ee) in 2009 to be named NSIC Player of the Year in baseball.
            Other post-season honors for Cunningham this year include NCBWA All-Central Region First Team and D2CCA All-Central Region First Team.   
            Wayne State finished the 2026 season at 29-23 overall and was fifth place in the NSIC with a 21-16 league mark.