Alumni Spotlight: 2026 Baseball National Champions
Four former Saints win National Championship at DII/NAIA levels
Gainesville, FL
Four former Santa Fe Baseball players were crowned as National Champions at the conclusion of either the NCAA Division II or NAIA baseball seasons. Three former Saints reached the peak of the NCAA Division II baseball championship with the University of Tampa, as they beat #1 West Chester University 8-4 in the third and final game of the championship series. The #2 Spartans beat the Rams 7-4 (10 innings) in Game 1 but dropped 12-4 in Game 2. In the NAIA, former Saint Justin Jackson helped his #8 seeded Tennessee Wesleyan team past #1 Taylor clinch the program's third national championship by a score of 21-4 in the finals of the double elimination bracket.
Tobin Moran, Javi Soto, and Lucas Johns all earned rings for the University of Tampa. This season marked Moran's second consecutive National Championship, as Johns and Soto earned their first championship ring at the college level. Jackson earned his first ring as well with the Bulldogs.
Tobin Moran played for Santa Fe in 2022 and 2023. The pitcher was named First Team All-State, Mid Florida Conference Pitcher of the Year, and the NJCAA Pitcher of the Week (March 29th) during his sophomore season. This season at Tampa, Moran Started four games while appearing in 16. He logged 38.1 innings pitched and struck out 39 batters with a 2.58 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.
Javi Soto played with Santa Fe in 2024 and in 2025, playing 78 total games with a .294 average across his two years. Soto was a staple in the outfield for Santa Fe, fielding .981 in 209 total chances, primarily in center field. Soto hit .303 at Tampa this season, playing in 43 games. He hit for extra bases 13 times and was productive by slugging .455 with 28 RBIs and scored 20 times.
Lucas Johns also played for Santa Fe in 2024 and 2025, appearing 32 total times as a pitcher. He logged 89.0 total innings and made all 14 appearances as starts his sophomore season. Johns used his pitch mix to strikeout 7.32 batters/9 in 2025 as he kept a 4.73ERA on the mound. He was also named Second Team All-Citrus Conference in 2025. Johns made one appearance at Tampa in 2026, throwing .2 innings while giving up two hits and three runs while striking out one in the win.
Justin Jackson played for Santa Fe in 2024, making 15 appearances with 3 starts. He recorded 98.1 innings pitched and carried an 11-3 record en route to a NSB Juco DI Second Team and NJCAA DI Second Team All-American honors. He struck out 106 batters and kept an ERA of 2.20 with a 1.10 WHIP as he faced 406 batters. In two seasons at Tennessee Wesleyan, Jackson has made 37 appearances (30 starts) accumulating 193.2 innings total. He carried a 9.30 K/9 rate and a 2.82 ERA this past season and started in two of their wins during the NAIA National Championship.
Jackson, Soto, and Johns were all teammates who were part of the 2024 Saints who went 31-22 and 19-14 in conference play.
