WATERVILLE, Maine - On Thursday, June 18, University of Maine at Farmington baseball standout Jameson Bloch (Attleboro, Mass.) was named a finalist for the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Man of the Year Award, as announced by the conference office.
The NAC Man of the Year Award is modeled after the former NCAA Woman of the Year Award, which, prior to this summer, was presented annually to a graduating student-athlete in recognition of academic achievement, athletic excellence, community service, leadership, and a written personal statement. The personal statement is intended to illustrate how the student-athlete's community service and experiences as a scholar, athlete, and leader on campus and in the community have influenced their life and shaped them into the person they are today.
Member institutions of the NAC nominate student-athletes from their own campuses. The conference's Athletic Directors and Senior Woman Administrators vote to select the NAC Man of the Year. The academic excellence portion of the award is based on the student-athlete's grade point average. The athletic success component is evaluated based on the nominee's honors and accomplishments, both individually and team-based. The leadership and service section is scored based on the nominee's leadership activities, detailing roles they have held throughout their college careers. The community service portion is scored based upon the student-athlete's involvement in volunteer and community service events. Lastly, each institution scores the nominated student-athletes' personal statements to determine a final score for each nominee.
The NAC Man of the Year honor is the highest award given annually by the conference office.
Bloch, a two-way standout, played in 140 games and made 136 starts during his four-year career on the diamond. He saw substantial time both on the mound and in the field, serving as a designated hitter, outfielder, and first baseman when he was not pitching. Across four seasons, Bloch finished with a 7-18 record on the hill and a 5.81 ERA, striking out 87 batters across 144.0 innings pitched. Bloch was named NAC Second Team All-Conference during his junior season, when he went 1-4 with a 4.97 ERA, recording a shutout, two saves, and 16 strikeouts in 29.0 innings pitched. As a senior, Bloch led the team with four victories, posting two complete games and setting the Farmington single-season record for innings pitched with 67.1 innings in 14 appearances.
At the plate, Bloch finished his career as a .266 hitter, collecting 111 hits, including 23 doubles, two home runs, 61 RBIs, and 83 runs scored. As a junior, Bloch tied the program's single-season record for doubles, recording 11 in 36 games played. A disciplined hitter, he finished his career with a .389 on-base percentage, drawing 63 walks while also being hit by a pitch 27 times.
Academically, Bloch completed his bachelor's degree in Business Psychology this past May. Following graduation, he accepted a graduate assistant position at Saint Joseph's College of Maine, where he will work toward earning a Master of Business Administration degree. Bloch was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in each of his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. He has also been named to the NAC All-Academic Team three times and will likely earn the honor once again following the conference's announcement later this summer. Following the 2026 season, Bloch was named the NAC Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year, as voted on by member institution coaches and Faculty Athletics Representatives.
A senior captain for the baseball team this past year, Bloch has been a valuable member of the Farmington Athletic Department and an advocate for student-athletes throughout his time as a Beaver. He has served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the past four years, including as secretary during the 2025-26 academic year. He has also been a member of Farmington's Morgan's Message chapter, a mental health awareness and advocacy group for student-athletes, for the past three years. Beyond his role within UMF's SAAC, Bloch served on the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the NAC's student representative this past year. As part of that role, Bloch attended the 2026 NCAA Convention this past January and will do so again in 2027.
Bloch is grateful for his time at Farmington and as a Division III student-athlete, stating, "By pursuing opportunities both on and off campus, I have developed strengths and values that have shaped my character and influenced the person I am today."
The winner of the 2026 NAC Man of the Year Award will be announced on Wednesday, June 24, by the NAC office.
