Labonte named semifinalist for 2026 National Pitcher of the Year honour

Okotoks Dawgs Academy alum and Portland Pilots right-handed pitcher Will Labonte (Montreal, Que.) has been named a semifinalist for the College Baseball Hall of Fame 2026 National Pitcher of the Year award. Photo: University of Portland Athletics

April 22, 2026

Official University of Portland News Release

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Portland Pilots right-handed pitcher Will Labonte continues to earn national recognition, being named a semifinalist for the College Baseball Hall of Fame 2026 National Pitcher of the Year award.

Labonte's the first Pilot to be named a semifinalist for the award since Brett Gillis in 2022.

Labonte is one of just two freshmen out of 43 pitchers as well and one of just two that hail from the West Coast Conference. It is one of four awards presented by CBF, including the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year and the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year award.

Another Pilots player, Trey Swygart, was named to the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Watch List in February.

Labonte has been an ace for the Pilots in his first year of collegiate action. Labonte has appeared in 10 games for Portland with nine starts, throwing a team-high 51 2/3 innings with a 2.26 ERA and 45 strikeouts. Labonte currently ranks second in the conference in ERA and 33rd nationally, with his ERA ranking third among all freshman.

The Montreal native has allowed the fewest earned runs of any freshman with over 50 innings thrown and is one of just two freshmen nationally to have thrown that many innings. No Pilot true freshman has thrown as many innings as Labonte since Eli Morse in 2018. Labonte has twice earned WCC Freshman of the Week honours and is the only Pilot to have earned multiple weekly honours this year

The Pilots are sitting at 22-16 overall and 8-7 in WCC play. They will take on the Santa Clara Broncos on the road for a three-game series starting on Friday.