2026 ABA National Championship Preview: Wellington Sports Academy
May 12, 2026
The Academy Baseball Association National Championship kicks off on May 12 at LakePoint Sports in Emerson, Ga. Over the next week leading up to the double-elimination tournament, we'll be publishing our team previews to highlight the event's outlook. These previews are built from the questionnaires submitted by head coaches, giving us detailed insights into their 2026 rosters.
Our 2026 ABA National Championship coverage continues today.
Academy: Wellington Sports Academy Gators
Division: Premier
Head Coach: Sean Burnett
2026 Record: 20-17
Team Strengths: Starting pitching, speed, close-knit, and outfield defense
ROSTER PREVIEW
| NAME | CLASS | POS | COMMITMENT |
| Thomas Glenn | Senior | SS | Memphis |
| Anthony Iaciofano | Senior | C | South Alabama |
| Eric Flores | Senior | CF | Indian River SC |
| Sebastian Burnett | Senior | RHP | Georgetown |
| Slade Wayne | Senior | C | Calhoun CC |
| Lucas Bratten | Senior | RHP | Palm Beach Atlantic |
| Gage Roof | Senior | RHP | Palm Beach State SC |
| Rocco Castrillon | Senior | 1B | Eastern Florida State SC |
| James Dono | Junior | 3B | Wake Forest |
| Ethan Till | Junior | CF | Uncommitted |
| Peyton Warner | Junior | RHP | Uncommitted |
| Chase Webster | Junior | OF | Uncommitted |
| Michael Donals | Junior | RHP/UTL | Uncommitted |
| Gabrian Diaz | Junior | INF | Uncommitted |
| Cam McFadden | - | RHP | Uncommitted |
| Tyler Atkins | - | RHP | Uncommitted |
| Grady Endemann | - | 1B | Uncommitted |
| William Mencho | - | RF | Uncommitted |
TOP UNCOMMITTED PROSPECTS
The Gators are fielding several uncommitted upperclassmen that should grab the attention of college recruiters during the tournament:
- Chase Webster (OF, 2026)
- Peyton Warner (RHP, 2027)
- Gabrian Diaz (INF, 2027)
- Michael Donals (RHP/UTL, 2027)
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS & DATA
- In their inaugural season as an academy, Wellington currently holds a 20-17 record but has caught fire at the right time, going 9-3 over the course of the last month.
- Senior Eric Flores (Indian River SC) has been the offensive engine, pacing the club with a .352 average, .473 OBP, .571 slugging percentage, and 14 extra-base hits.
- Senior Sebastian Burnett (Georgetown) has been nearly untouchable on the mound, maintaining a 1.44 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while surrendering just four earned runs all spring.
X-FACTOR
Momentum and clean outfield play. Winning nine of their last 12 games shows a team that is gelling down the stretch. A key to extending that success will be their outfield defense, highlighted as a primary strength, which features players like Flores in center and Chase Webster in left. In tournament play, tracking down balls in the gaps and taking extra bases away from opponents is often the difference between advancing and going home.
TEAM OUTLOOK
Wellington Sports Academy is riding a significant wave of momentum heading into Emerson. Head coach Sean Burnett summarized his squad's journey: "Been an up and down year in our first ever season as an academy. It's a fun, high-energy, tight-knit group who grinds opponents for all 27 outs. The best thing about playoff baseball is all stats and prior records are out the window, and anything can happen now."
The Gators will lean on their starting pitching, rolling out the dominant Burnett alongside Cam McFadden and junior Peyton Warner. The bullpen is anchored by seniors Gage Roof (Palm Beach State SC), Tyler Atkins, and Lucas Bratten (Palm Beach Atlantic). Offensively, they look to set the table with Flores and use team speed to manufacture runs, while James Dono (Wake Forest), Anthony Iaciofano (South Alabama), and Thomas Glenn (Memphis) provide stability and run-producing potential in the infield. If they can mitigate walks and cut down on strikeouts at the plate, the Gators are primed to be a very dangerous sleeper pick.
BOTTOM LINE
The Gators are a resilient, close-knit group that has figured things out over the last month. With a legitimate front-line starter in Burnett and a fast, defensively sound outfield, they possess a strong formula for tournament success. If they carry their recent hot streak into LakePoint, Wellington Sports Academy has the talent to surprise some of the established programs in the Premier Division.