RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Three members of the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) baseball team have earned their spot on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team. Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.), Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.), and Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.) all excelled on the field and in the classroom this season. To make the CSC Academic All-District team, student-athletes must have a 3.5 GPA or above in order to be nominated.
 
Continuing to add accolades to his already impressive resume, B. Mahler earned his second CSC Academic All-District honors. His outstanding senior season is highlighted by earning his spot on both D3baseball.com and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-American first team as a catcher. He was also named first team ABCA/Rawlings All-Region and Region VIII Position Player of the Year, while earning his fourth consecutive Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) All-Conference accolade while being named the NACC Position Player of the Year. Throughout the season, B. Mahler picked up NACC Position Player of the Week three times.  This year, he led the team in nearly every offensive category batting .472 and slugging .883. He co-led the team in single-season home runs with 16, putting his name second in the Cougar record book and the NACC record book for single-season home runs. This season, he broke the single-season record for RBIs (69), batting average (.472), slugging percentage (.883), and on base percentage (.567). B. Mahler led the NACC in slugging percentage, on base percentage, RBIs, and home runs while ranking second in batting average, hits, and doubles. On the national level, B. Mahler ranked fifth in the nation for single-season home runs for the majority of the year while finishing his career ranked top ten in the NCAA for home runs, RBIs, batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, and total bases. As a marketing major, B. Mahler has accumulated a 3.60 GPA.
 
Also sweeping accolades, J. Mahler with his own standout senior season. He earned his spot on the ABCA/Rawlings All-American second team as a third baseman. This year, he batted .420 while starting and appearing in all 43 games for the Cougars. He co-led the team in single-season home runs with 16, writing his name second in the CUC record book and the NACC record book for single-season home runs. J. Mahler picked up 76 hits, ten doubles, two triples, and 59 RBIs this season while slugging .505. In the field, he was responsible for 27 putouts and 88 assists in his first season as the starting third baseman. J. Mahler led the NACC in home runs while ranking in the top five in batting average, hits, doubles, slugging percentage, on base percentage, and RBIs. Across NCAA Division III, J. Mahler ranked fifth in the nation for single-season home runs for the majority of the year while finishing his career ranked in the top 40 in the NCAA for home runs, hits, RBIs, slugging percentage, and total bases. This season, J. Mahler earned his second ABCA/Rawlings All-Region recognition this year as a first team third baseman after being named to second team last season as a designated hitter. J. Mahler earned his second consecutive NACC All-Conference accolade this year after being named first team for his work this season. Throughout the season, J. Mahler earned NACC Position Player of the Week after helping to guide the Cougars to wins over Benedictine University and St. Norbert College. This is J. Mahler's second consecutive CSC Academic All-District honors. As a business administration major, J. Mahler has accumulated a 3.79 GPA.
 
Connelly picked up his first CSC Academic All-District recognition after an impressive sophomore season as a critical part of the Cougars' pitching staff. With a team-leading 2.87 ERA, Connelly threw 31.1 total innings in 20 appearances, only allowing 10 earned runs and 23 hits. With a career-high seven saves, he etched his name fifth in the Cougar record book for single-season saves while also leading the NACC. He held his opponents to a .197 batting average against him, moving him to sixth in the CUC record book for the stat. Connelly was also named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region third team as a relief pitcher. As a business major, Connelly has accumulated a 3.84 GPA.
 
All three Cougars have been selected as CSC Academic All-America finalists and they will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members, which will be announced on June 23.
 
To view the complete list of 2026 CSC Academic All-District team, click here.