Preseason NCBWA All-America Teams

WINGATE, N.C. (Jan. 29) – For the second time this week, California (PA) senior starting pitcher Michael Valente garnered preseason All-America recognition as he was chosen a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Second-Team All-American on Thursday afternoon.

Valente previously earned D2 Baseball First-Team All-America laurels on Monday. Last year, he was a consensus second-team all-region selection in his second season as a weekend starter. He finished 2025 as one of only two pitchers in the Atlantic Region to reach double-digit victories while tying the single-season school record with 10 wins. Valente set career highs with a 3.15 ERA, 65.2 innings pitched and 53 strikeouts while making 12 appearances, including 11 starts.

In addition to all-region honors, Valente was named the 2025 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champion Scholar and was selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team for a consecutive year. Additionally, the 6-foot-0 senior was also the co-recipient of Bruce Dal Canton Pitching Award and tabbed the Vulcan Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Cal is scheduled to play seven games in the region before traveling to Florida for Spring Break, including two contests at Kendrick Family Ballpark in Morgantown, West Virginia – home of the WVU Mountaineers and West Virginia Black Bears.