Ty Head Awarded Prestigious Gold Glove Award for Top Defender in the Country

RALEIGH, N.C. - The top center fielder in college baseball resides in Raleigh after Ty Head was named the recipient of the Gold Glove by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) on Wednesday evening.

Head becomes the third player in Wolfpack history to be awarded the Gold Glove and the first outfielder since Brett Williams won the award in 2013. In 2021, Austin Murr won the Gold Glove at first base.

The award is presented annually to the top defensive players in each division of collegiate and high school baseball. The finalists are selected by the ABCA NCAA Div. I, All-America committee.

An All-ACC third-team selection, Head started all 56 Wolfpack games in center field. He did not commit a single error in 2026 and, on 133 chances, recorded 131 putouts and two assists. 

Not only was Head an essential piece of the Wolfpack's defense in the field, but he also led the Wolfpack offense with 14 home runs and hit .291 on the season with 55 hits, eight doubles, 48 RBIs, and 64 runs scored. On the base path, he was 26-29 in stolen bases, becoming the only ACC player to hit 10+ home runs and steal 20+ bases in the regular season. 

He moved into second all-time in program history for most walks in a single season, with 57. He had the second most walks in the ACC and ranked sixth in the nation. He struck out only 22 times over the course of the season. 

The ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove teams were first recognized in 2007. Founded in 1945, the American Baseball Coaches Association is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its more than 15,000 members represent all 50 states and 41 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has expanded to include nine divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School, Youth and Travel.