AUSTIN, Texas — Santa Clara University baseball graduate first baseman
Dylan Joyce earned one of college athletics' most prestigious distinctions Tuesday, being named a first team Academic All-American — an honor reserved for the nation's most elite student-athletes — by College Sports Communicators.
Joyce's first team Academic All-American award punctuates a collegiate career filled with academic recognition. It marks the second Academic All-American honor of his career, after being named a third team Academic All-American in 2023 while at the University of Puget Sound. He earned double bachelor's degrees in business leadership and economics at Puget Sound from 2020-23, graduating with a 3.72 cumulative Grade Point Average.
Joyce is the first Santa Clara student-athlete to earn first team Academic All-American recognition in 18 years, since men's soccer standout Matt Hatzke did so in 2007. He is only the second member of the Santa Clara baseball program to receive the honor, and the first in 37 years, since Wes Bliven earned three consecutive first team selections from 1986–88. Bliven was also named the University Division Baseball Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in 1988.
Joyce was named to this year's West Coast Conference All-Academic First Team on May 19, thanks in part to the 3.894 GPA he carried through the winter term in his MBA program at the Leavey School of Business. He earned "Gold" honors on the WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2024 after his first season with the Broncos and previously collected three All-Northwest Conference Scholar-Athlete awards during his time at Puget Sound.
Joyce had a breakout season in 2025, rediscovering the powerful swing he showcased for four years at Puget Sound. He led Santa Clara's offense with a .314 batting average, .580 slugging percentage, 40 runs scored, 59 hits, 49 RBIs, and 13 home runs — six of which on the season gave the Broncos the lead. He logged his first career multi-homer game on April 26 versus Pacific, hitting two home runs. Defensively, he posted a .995 fielding percentage at first base over 403 total chances.
At the conclusion of his six-year career, Joyce ranked tied for 23rd among all active NCAA players across all divisions with 205 career RBIs and tied for 24th with 54 home runs. His 457 total bases ranked 35th, and his 253 career hits ranked tied for 75th among all active NCAA players.
A total of 33 student-athletes were named Academic All-Americans across the first, second, and third teams. Mississippi State pitcher/designated hitter Noah Sullivan was named the Division I Academic All-America of the Year, carrying a 4.00 cumulative GPA in workforce education leadership. The 33-man team averaged a 3.78 cumulative GPA, with the first team averaging 3.74. Five student-athletes carried perfect 4.0 GPAs.
