Bernardo, Liponis, and Pappalardo Claim CSC Academic All-America Honors
BEVERLY, Mass. — Endicott baseball junior first baseman Cade Bernardo (Glenmont, N.Y.), senior shortstop TJ Liponis (Scarborough, Maine), and junior right-handed pitcher Matt Pappalardo (Pelham, N.H.) each earned a spot on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Second Team, the organization announced on Tuesday at noon.
The CSC Academic All-Americans are voted on and chosen by members of the College Sports Communicators organization from around the country. The criteria for an Academic All-American is weighed by both their on-field production as well as their academic success in the classroom.
The three Endicott baseball representatives established a new school record for the most student-athletes ever produced by an Endicott athletics program in a single season.
CADE BERNARDO | JR. | 1B
In his second season with the Gulls, Bernardo earns his first career CSC Academic All-America honors.
The junior first baseman was a staple in the middle of the Gulls lineup during their historic run. Batting cleanup for a majority of the season, he slashed .315/.408/.516 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with seven homers, 14 doubles, 95 total bases, 37 RBI, and 47 runs scored.
Off the field, his production was just as impressive.
A junior marketing major, Bernardo currently sports a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.78, and holds an anticipated graduation date of May 2027.
Within Endicott athletics, he is involved with the "LEAD" program, which assembles young leaders from across Endicott athletics for weekly meetings on the state of Endicott and the life of a student-athlete.
Additionally, he is the president of Endicott's "Catholic Gulls" club on campus.
Bernardo has taken a large role in the NOVUS brand, which is an athletics apparel company owned and operated by his older brothers, Nick and Garrett.
Through his connections, Cade has secured internships as a marketing intern, and later developed into the role of Sales Representative and Collegiate Brand Ambassador Lead.
With that title and responsibility, he has set up opportunities on campus and around the world for he and his teammates to give back to the community.
One of, if not the most influential of these opportunities was the "NOVUS 1:12 Project Mission Trip." Back in January, Bernardo and several teammates traveled to the Dominican Republic, where they delivered new baseball equipment and ran instructional camps to local Dominican youth baseball players. Bernardo assisted in the funding of over $20,000 to send 10 collegiate student-athletes, including himself, on this mission to serve those kids while helping them grow in faith.
TJ LIPONIS | SR. | SS
As the senior captain of the Gulls, Liponis turned in the best season of his esteemed career in 2026.
The four-time College World Series participant slashed .360/.442/.587 with eight homers, 58 RBI, 87 base hits, and a DIII-leading 27 doubles.
His leadership on the field and in the locker room brought the Gulls to their first ever national championship series, but it was more than just that that made him an Academic All-American for the first time in his career.
In the classroom, Liponis, a sport management major, earned his bachelor's degree in May after graduating with a 3.72 GPA.
During his time at Endicott, he completed internships with St. John's Prep, Northeast Technical Institute, Westbrook Community Center, and Prouts Neck Country Club.
Additionally, throughout his collegiate career, Liponis has assisted in numerous community service projects. Some of those projects include cleaning up local Beverly yards for the elderly, and taking a part in the Frates 5k to help raise money and awareness for ALS research.
MATT PAPPALARDO | JR. | RHP
After recovering from Tommy John surgery last season, Pappalardo turned in a career year from the mound in 2026.
In 19 appearances and 12 starts, he dealt a total of 70.1 IP, featured a record of 6-2, ERA of 3.07, WHIP of 1.08, and fanned 71 batters (9.09 K/9).
In Conference of New England (CNE) play, he pitched to a an ERA of 1.05 (led CNE), struck out 36, earned five wins (most in CNE), and limited batters to a .175 opposing batting average.
Down the stretch this season, he turned in four starts in which he pitched 6+ innings and did not allow an earned run.
His emergence in the rotation brought major depth to a program that has ranked among the top three pitching programs in Divsion III in each of the last four seasons.
Inside the classroom, the finance major has donned a GPA of 3.82 through his first three years at Endicott, with an expected graduation date of May 2027.
A consistent member of the Dean's List, Pappalardo is also involved with EC LEAD within Endicott athletics.
Regarding work and internship experience, Pappalardo has completed two internships while at Endicott.
In the summer of 2024, his freshman year, he worked with the North Shore Navigators of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) as an analytics intern during their season.
Then, in the summer of 2025, Pappalardo served his summer internship with The Leaders Group in Haverhill, Mass. With The Leaders Group, Pappalardo was a financial planning intern, and was tasked with mapping out client meetings and attending wholesaler meetings with the senior advisor, in addition to other duties.
Heading in to next season, the rising senior has already been named a team caption for the 2027 Gulls baseball squad.
YEAR IN REVIEW
Endicott (44-14) appeared in its first ever national championship. The Gulls won game two in walkoff fashion to force game three, but ultimately fell to Denison, 4-3, in the winner-take-all finale on June 4.
Among the many impressive feats from this year's squad, one of the most impressive was their performance in winner-take-all elimination games.
The 2026 Gulls were the first team in DIII history to win four winner-take-all games, which eventually earned them a berth in the national championship.
With their run to the College World Series, Endicott became the first team since Chapman (2005-09) to appear in four straight CWS'.
For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
(Photo Credit - David Le '10 / Jonah Bean '28)