University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Sofia Yaker/UGAAA
Branch and Hudson Earn College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Honors
June 05, 2026 | Baseball
ATHENS-----University of Georgia senior shortstop Kolby Branch and senior first baseman/catcher Brennan Hudson have been named to the 2026 NCAA Division I Academic All-District® baseball team as selected by College Sports Communicators.
The organization recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and position players must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played or must start in at least 66 percent of the team's games. Academic All-District® honorees are considered for CSC Academic All-America® honors. Branch, a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection, is among those student-athletes on the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. A first-, second- and third-team Academic All-America team will be announced on June 23.
Branch, a 5-11, 202-pound native of Lucas, Texas, is majoring in Housing Management and Policy. A second team All-SEC selection, he has started all 61 games for the Bulldogs who claimed the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles. He was named to the NCAA Athens Regional All-Tournament team. He was a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award which goes to the nation's top shortstop. Currently, Branch is batting .290 with 16 doubles, 17 home runs and 54 RBI while fielding .976.
Hudson, a 6-1, 222-pound native of Cumming, Ga., is majoring in Economics. He has appeared in 50 games with 44 starts at first base, catcher and right field. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Athens Regional after batting a team-best .556 (5-for-9) with three home runs, three walks and three hit-by-pitches for a .733 on base percentage. For the year, Hudson ranks second on the team with 20 home runs plus has 48 RBI and a .278 batting average.
The Bulldogs (49-12) are the number three national seed in the NCAA Championships and play host to No. 14 seed Mississippi State (43-17) in a Super Regional starting Saturday at a sold-out Foley Field. The winner of the best-of-three series advances to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
The organization recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and position players must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played or must start in at least 66 percent of the team's games. Academic All-District® honorees are considered for CSC Academic All-America® honors. Branch, a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection, is among those student-athletes on the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. A first-, second- and third-team Academic All-America team will be announced on June 23.
Branch, a 5-11, 202-pound native of Lucas, Texas, is majoring in Housing Management and Policy. A second team All-SEC selection, he has started all 61 games for the Bulldogs who claimed the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles. He was named to the NCAA Athens Regional All-Tournament team. He was a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award which goes to the nation's top shortstop. Currently, Branch is batting .290 with 16 doubles, 17 home runs and 54 RBI while fielding .976.
Hudson, a 6-1, 222-pound native of Cumming, Ga., is majoring in Economics. He has appeared in 50 games with 44 starts at first base, catcher and right field. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Athens Regional after batting a team-best .556 (5-for-9) with three home runs, three walks and three hit-by-pitches for a .733 on base percentage. For the year, Hudson ranks second on the team with 20 home runs plus has 48 RBI and a .278 batting average.
The Bulldogs (49-12) are the number three national seed in the NCAA Championships and play host to No. 14 seed Mississippi State (43-17) in a Super Regional starting Saturday at a sold-out Foley Field. The winner of the best-of-three series advances to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
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