WALTHAM, Mass. -- Brandeis University rising senior second baseman Matt Chafin of Canton, Massachusetts, has been named to the ABCA/Rawlings Division III Regional All-Defensive team. The teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. III All-America & Coach of the Year Committee.

Chafin played in 34 of the Judges' 36 games this season, starting 30 of them. His 126 chances were fourth-most on the team, while his 65 assists were second on the squad. He made just two errors for a .984 fielding percentage, while taking part in 15 double plays, the third most on the team. Chafin paced a defense that finished 10th in Division III in field percentage, making just 31 errors in 36 games and 1,220 total chances for a mark of .975.

"Matt has outstanding range and arm and an unparalleled work ethic," said head coach Derek Carlson '91. "He worked extremely hard this year to come back from injuries that limited him to just two games in 2025. Matt made the transition from shortstop to second base flawlessly and solidified a defense that finished among the best in the nation in Division III."    

The Judges finished the 2026 season with a 21-15 record, placing third in the University Athletic Association with an 11-9 record. The Judges posted their first 20-win season since going 24-19 in 2011 and finished with a school-record 11 conference wins since the UAA went to a full 20-game schedule in 2017. Their third-place finish in the UAA was their highest since tying for the team title in 2008. 

Chafin is Brandeis's first Regional All-Defensive selection since the ABCA first named a team in 2023. 

Chafin is a 2023 graduate of Canton High School.

For more information on Brandeis University baseball, please visit their website at https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/baseball. 


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