MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Former Penn State Harrisburg baseball standout Bret Williams '21 has been named to the D3baseball.com 50th Anniversary Team, which recognizes the greatest players from the first 50 years of NCAA Division III baseball. 


Williams cemented his status as one of the greatest players in Division III history by being named to the D3baseball.com 50th Anniversary Second Team. 


D3baseball.com celebrated the first five decades of Division III baseball by selecting 68 student-athletes to four anniversary teams. During the selection process, the organization considered all-America, player of the year, and gold glove honors earned through the 2026 campaign, as well as players who were drafted. A point system was used to establish a pool of approximately three candidates for each position across the four teams, with voting by media members determining the final selections.


The most decorated student-athlete in school history, Williams earned four all-America honors during his career, being named to both the D3baseball.com All-America First Team and ABCA/Rawlings All-America First Team following his outstanding junior and senior campaigns. The Mount Carmel, Pa. native added three regional player of the year accolades and was twice named conference player of the year. He was also impressive in the classroom, earning a pair of College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America honors following his final two seasons. Thanks to his unparalleled success, Williams was named to the D3baseball.com All-Decade First Team in 2020.  


One of the most-feared hitters of his era, Williams racked up eye-popping numbers during his illustrious career and still ranks among the most productive offensive players in Division III history across numerous statistical categories. Among Division III players, the outfielder ranks third all-time in total bases (548), fourth in home runs (63), eighth in both RBIs (250) and runs (232), and 17th in hits (290). In 2019, he won three NCAA Statistical Championships after leading the nation in hits (88), runs (75), and total bases (161). 


The program's all-time leader in batting average (.407), on-base percentage (.496), slugging percentage (.770), hits, runs, RBIs, home runs, and doubles (51), Williams helped usher in an unmatched era of success for Penn State Harrisburg that's seen the program make seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and win four conference championships since the 2019 campaign. 


Upon the completion of his collegiate career, Williams participated in the 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft League and helped lead the Trenton Thunder to a league-best 30-18 record. He slashed .315/.471/.537 across 21 games and ranked ninth in the league with a an impressive 1.008 OPS, adding three home runs, three doubles, and 13 walks. 


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