Eliomar Otero Named NAIA Preseason All-American

KANSAS CITY, MO - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially released the 2026 Preseason Baseball All-America Team in anticipation of the upcoming season.

The Preseason All-Americans are selected annually by the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association (NAIA-BCA) All-America Committee. The list is a combination of two catchers, four outfielders, four starting pitchers, a relief pitcher, one designated hitter, and five infielders. Ten NAIA conferences were represented in the 2025 All-America Team led by the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC) that placed four on the list.

For the first time in program history, UNOH baseball has placed a player on the NAIA Preseason All-America Team as Senior Eliomar Otero made the list as a shortstop. Otero is coming off a strong junior campaign that earned him All-WHAC First Team honors and has steadily cemented himself in UNOH baseball history as one of the top five performers all-time in 13 different statistical categories.

Last year, Otero tallied 67 RBI, the second most ever in a season and the program's most since 2017, scoring 55 runs and earning 76 hits, both tied for fifth in a season. His twelve home runs were the program's most since 2018 and the second best single season effort racking up 135 total bases, the third most. Otero also tied the program record earning multiple-RBI on 18 seperate occasions. Defensively, his 146 assists were the second most in a season and the most since 2015 while turning 32 double plays, the program's third best.

Otero already holds the program record for career doubles with 41 and currently sits second all-time with 294 total bases, 137 RBI and 21 home runs.