Troy Sudbrook Honored as Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy 'Starting 9' Finalist

TOLEDO, Ohio – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has named Toledo redshirt junior Troy Sudbrook to the Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy "Starting 9," the organization announced on Wednesday.

The Starting 9 honors collegiate baseball's top student-athletes who are actively involved in their communities, while also excelling academically and athletically. The trophy winner will be selected in a final vote by NCBWA board members, college baseball coaches and national media members. The award honors MLB Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn, who was recognized throughout his life for his commitment to philanthropy. 2026 is the second year the award will be given.

Sudbrook's distinction makes the Mid-American Conference one of six conferences represented among the finalists, joining the ACC, Big 12, SEC, Conference USA and Sun Belt Conference.

Sudbrook has been a fixture in both the baseball program and a leader of its community service efforts. He has led the Rockets' days playing baseball with kids from Miracle League of Northwest Ohio every fall. Sudbrook also has participated in initiatives such as Thanksgiving dinner and literacy nights at the YMCA, filling Christmas boxes with Rockets Rise, organizing food donations for local food banks and collecting toys for local children as part of Hope for the Holidays, among many more.

On campus and among college baseball student-athletes, Sudbrook is a leader for the entire student-athlete community. Sudbrook is the Vice President of UT's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and represented the MAC at the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in the fall of 2025. Additionally, he is one of just four student-athletes serving on the NCAA Division I Baseball Oversight Committee.

Academically, the Avon, Ohio native has received College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District and Academic All-MAC honors. After receiving his degree in finance in the fall, Sudbrook is now pursuing his Master's in Business Administration (MBA) at UT. He had a 4.0 GPA throughout undergrad.

Sudbrook's play on the field has been just as exemplary. Over his career, Sudbrook has logged 147 games with 143 starts on the infield. He has a .295 career batting average with 19 home runs, 130 RBIs, 164 hits, 48 doubles and 64 walks. He has produced a standout season in 2026, slashing .366/.459/.689 with nine home runs, 62 RBIs, 67 hits, 50 runs and a nation-leading school-record 28 doubles.

With Sudbrook on the field, Toledo made a historic run to the MAC Tournament championship game in 2025, winning a program-record four games in the tournament. The Rockets have already clinched their spot in the 2026 MAC Tournament and are in contention for a regular-season league title with six MAC games to play.

Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy Starting 9
Lee Amedee, 1B/3B, Sr., Louisiana
Lorenzo Carrier, R-Sr., OF, Pitt
Bryce Chance, OF, Gr., Mississippi State
Ashton Johnson, LHP, Sr., BYU
Camden Kozeal, IF, Jr., Arkansas
Chayton Krauss, IF, Fifth Year, Dallas Baptist
Zion Rose, Jr., OF, Louisville
Chris Stanfield, Sr., OF, LSU
Troy Sudbrook, R-Jr., IF, Toledo

Players Mentioned

Troy Sudbrook