CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University baseball senior infielder/right-handed pitcher Gio Colasante has earned a spot on the 2026 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List for the second consecutive season, the College Baseball Foundation announced on Wednesday.
 
Colasante stands as the only player from the Ivy League to appear on the watch list.
 
Colasante enjoyed a breakout season for the Crimson as a two-way player in 2025, earning First Team All-Ivy as both a utility/pitcher – unanimously – and as a first baseman. He gained a spot on the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List and garnered Ivy League Tournament All-Tournament Team accolades.
 
As a hitter last spring, Colasante led the Crimson in home runs (10), RBIs (33), runs (31), total bases (88), and slugging (.564), while ranking second on the team in average (.314), hits (49), and OBP (.383). As a pitcher a season ago, he totaled 36 strikeouts over 31.2 innings and held opponents to a .246 batting average.
 
Through six games in the 2026 season, Colasante has posted a .318 average as a hitter with two home runs and seven RBIs and has notched four strikeouts over 7.0 innings as a pitcher.
 
The 49 players on this year's watch list reflect some of the biggest names in college baseball this season, including 2025 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Evan Dempsey of Florida Gulf Coast. As usual, the watch list represents a wide swath of schools from across the country with players who have already made significant contributions to their team's success.
 
The award is named after former Washington State University standout John Olerud, who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s. He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
 
Next, Harvard plays a three-game series at Liberty in Lynchburg, Virginia from March 6-8 (ESPN+) with game one on March 6 at 4:00 p.m., game two on March 7 at 2:00 p.m., and game three on March 8 at noon. 

2026 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List

Dillon Adkins, LHP/OF, Freshman, Austin Peay, ASUN
Kyle Alivo, IF/RHP, Sophomore, Iowa, Big Ten
Blaine Brown, LHP/OF, Sophomore, Tennessee, SEC
Bryce Calloway, RHP/OF, Graduate, Georgia, SEC
Jay Campbell, OF/RHP, Sophomore, Florida A&M, SWAC
Jeremy Cheeseman, IF/RHP, Junior, Farleigh Dickinson, NEC
Gio Colasante, IF/RHP, Senior, Harvard, Ivy League
Carter Danz, LHP/OF, Freshman, Northwestern, Big Ten
Michael Delph, IF/RHP, Sophomore, Army, Patriot
Evan Dempsey, OF/RHP, Junior, Florida Gulf Coast, ASUN
Myles Dickerson, IF/RHP, Freshman, Delaware State, NEC
Thomas Ealey, LHP/OF, Sophomore, Norfolk State, MEAC
Noah Franco, OF/LHP, Freshman, TCU, Big 12
Ben Green, RHP/IF, Freshman, UNC Asheville, Big South
Connor Grotyohann, OF/RHP, Senior, Rhode Island, A-10
Tyler Guerin, RHP/IF, Sophomore, Iowa, Big Ten
Dylan Harrison, RHP/OF, Freshman, Clemson, ACC
Alex Hernandez, OF/IF/RHP, Sophomore, Georgia Tech, ACC
Kenny Ishikawa, LHP/Util, Junior, Georgia, SEC
Kyle Johnson, LHP/OF, Junior, Virginia, ACC
Nathan Johnson, OF/RHP, Freshman, UTSA, American
Gavyn Jones, LHP/OF, Junior, Oklahoma, SEC
Brock Ketelsen, OF/LHP, Freshman, Stanford, ACC
Max Knight, LHP/IF, Junior, Missouri State, CUSA
Caleb Koskie, OF/LHP, Junior, Indiana, Big Ten
Ryan Kroepel, RHP/Util, Junior, Utah Tech, WAC
Donte Lewis, RHP/OF, Sophomore, Kansas State, Big 12
Brayden Mazzacano, LHP/OF, Sophomore, Illinois, Big Ten
Nicholas Mazzotta, IF/RHP, Senior, Wagner, NEC
Christian Mitchelle, UTL/RHP, Senior, Cincinnati, Big 12
Breckin Nace, LHP/IF, Junior, Radford, Big South
Drew Nelson, LHP/UTL, Senior, Troy, SBC
Josiah Overbeek, RHP/1B, Freshman, Army, Patriot
Erik Paulsen, Junior, IF/LHP, North Carolina, ACC
Wyatt Pennington, IF/RHP, Freshman, Evansville, MVC
Jesse Rusinek, OF/LHP, Freshman, Texas Tech, Big 12
Connor Shouse, RHP/OF, Sophomore, Texas Tech, Big 12
Cayden Smith, SS/RHP, Sophomore, Central Michigan, MAC
James Smith IV, OF/RHP, Senior, Memphis, American
Nolan Stevens, IF/LHP, Junior, Oklahoma, SEC
Jayden Stroman, RHP/IF, Freshman, Virginia, ACC
Parker Sweeney, LHP/OF, Sophomore, College of Charleston, CAA
Trey Swygart, RHP/IF, Sophomore, Portland, WCC
Elijah Underhill, OF/RHP, Senior, Austin Peay, ASUN
Chase Van Ameyde, RHP/IF, Sophomore, Notre Dame, ACC
Colby Wallace, IF/RHP, Junior, East Carolina, American
T.P. Wentworth, OF/LHP, Sophomore, Oklahoma State, Big 12
Michael Zielinski, OF/LHP, Freshman, Wright State, Horizon
Brayden Zilis, RHP/IF, Freshman, Illinois State, MVC