SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Jillian Albayati of softball and Zech Samayoa of baseball have been named the Cal State San Marcos Student-Athletes of the Month for May 2026.
 
The CSUSM Student-Athlete of the Month awards are determined through a vote of all Department of Athletics coaches, administrators and staff. Each in-season program nominates a student-athlete to be considered for the award each month.
 
Albayati led CSUSM with 32 hits, 22 runs, nine doubles, six home runs, 59 total bases and 11 walks while tallying 16 RBIs, a .459 batting average and a .843 slugging percentage. She finished her career as the CCAA single-season leader in batting average (.517), doubles (26), RBIs (80) and slugging percentage (.914). Albayai was the program's first D2CCA and NFCA All-America first-team selection, and she was selected to the NCAA Division II Softball National Championship All-Tournament Team. Albayati capped off her collegiate career by being named the CCAA Female Student-Athlete of the Year and D2CCA All-West Region Player of the Year. 
 
Samayoa led CSUSM with 19 RBIs, 11 hits, five home runs, three doubles and an .829 slugging percentage while batting .314. He was named CCAA Player and Newcomer of the Year and was named to the CCAA All-Tournament Team. After earning D2CCA, NCBWA and ABCA/Rawlings All-Region honors, Samayoa earned All-America honors from NCBWA and D2CCA. On the first day of the month, Samayoa broke CSUSM's home run record with his 19th of the season against Cal Poly Pomona. He ended his career as CSUSM's single-season record holder in home runs (23), RBIs (78), total bases (151) and slugging percentage (.868).
 
This is Albayati's third CSUSM Student-Athlete of the Month honor and the second for Samayoa.