FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University right fielder Charlie Bussey III has been named the 2026 Division II National Position Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings Sporting Goods, as announced by the organization on Monday.

A 6-2, 200-pound native of Graniteville, S.C., Bussey III produced one of the most exceptional seasons in collegiate baseball history, winning D2 Baseball Player of the Year, Perfect Game Co-Player of the Year, and being the consensus Southeast Region Player of the Year. He is the only player in NCAA Division II history to register 100 hits, 100 runs scored, and 40 stolen bases in a single season. He shattered the DII record for runs scored with 118 and 1.97 runs scored per game in a season. Bussey III also finished in a tie for 10th all-time with 113 hits in a single season.

The consensus first-team All-American led the country in batting average (.489), hits (113), on-base percentage (.604), runs scored (118), and total bases (200) while ranking fifth in slugging percentage (.866) and sixth in walks (57). Bussey III reached base safely in 58-of-60 games played while leading the team with 38 multi-hit games. He is the program's all-time home run leader with 35 and has set single-season records for batting average, hits, runs scored, slugging percentage, total bases, and walks.

Bussey III helped the Patriots set a school record for wins in 2026 as they finished with a 46-14 record and ranked seventh nationally in the final ABCA and D2 Baseball polls. He contributed to an offense that led the country with 669 runs scored while ranking among the top five in hits (739), on-base percentage (.466), scoring (11.2), stolen bases (173), and batting average (.354). The Patriots spanned a 14-year hiatus from the NCAA Tournament in 2026 and reached their first-ever Super Regional.

He is the first Patriot in school history to be named the National Position Player of the Year by ABCA/Rawlings. Since 2018, the ABCA has selected both a pitcher and a position player. Winners are named for NCAA Division I, II, III, the NAIA, junior college, and high school, and chosen from the All-America First Teams.

Bussey III is currently in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), one of the nation's premier collegiate wooden bat leagues, playing for the Harwich Mariners.

He is a sports management major and a product of Aquinas High School.


  Charlie Bussey III