GEENWOOD, Ind. – Baldwin Wallace University junior All-American linebacker Nolan Harstel (Lodi/Northwestern) continued his historic season by earning 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American honors for th first time in his career

Hartsel carries a 3.97 grade point average in accounting and finance.  He is one of five student-athletes from the Ohio Athletic Conference and 13 from Region 4 to be recognized.

Hartsel becomes the 139th BW student-athlete to be named as an Academic All-American and the 37th football player to earn the honor.  The 139 Yellow Jackets that have been honored is more than any other college or university in the OAC and ranks 12th nationally in Division III. 

This season, he led the OAC in tackles with a career-high 96, including recording a career-best tying 19 in two games.  Hartsel also recorded six tackles for a loss of 19 yards, three quarterback hurries, one sack, one interception and one pass breakup.   He was named the OAC Gene Slaughter Most Outstanding Linebacker Award winner as well being named to the All-OAC first team, D3football.Com All-American second team, D3football.com All-Region 4 first team and the OAC Defensive Player of the Week on October 20 after his first 19 tackle performance in a victory over Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Ind.).

For his career, Hartsel has appeared in 30 games and has tallied 161 tackles, including 17 for loss, 6.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception. 

Off the field, he is a two-time Academic All-OAC honoree, 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team selection, Dean's List student and a member of the Dayton C. Miller Honor Society.

BW finished the 2025 campaign with an overall record of 8-2 and an OAC slate of 6-2.