Our pride and joy, the 2026 Preseason Mid Major Power Rankings is out and our outlook on each team:
Totally shocking and unpredictable seeing Coastal Carolina in this #1 spot, right? The Chanticleers are coming off a historical run through the postseason that included a 26-game win streak before losing two games by a combined three runs against LSU and finishing as national runner-up. Kevin Schnall didn't miss a beat, becoming head coach and arguably elevated the program after replacing the long-tenured HC Gary Gilmore. With all of that accounted for, remember what Detroit's Dan Campbell once said, "you never know if you're gonna be back." That could ring true for any program, but the Chants return a good amount of their stout pitching staff (~50% of innings). Having Cameron Flukey lead the way on the mound will keep things business as usual. Ryan Lynch (0.58 ERA), Darin Horn (2.73), and Dominick Carbone (2.36) should be one of the best 7-8-9's in the country. The Chanticleers lose program legend Caden Bodine behind the plate and Sebastian Alexander, but other than that, they return a good chunk of their lineup. Senior 2B Blake Barthol will be the undisputed leader alongside senior outfielder Dean Mihos in 2026. Transfers Jordan Taylor (Stetson), Rex Watson (San Diego), and Brayden Horton (Oklahoma) should make an immediate impact and shore up holes created by departing talent. Watson (.295 AVG, .932 OPS, 13 HR) should quickly have a major impact in the middle of that lineup. Coastal's identity over the years has been fireworks from the batter's box and survival on the mound. After last year, maybe Schnall's team strengths going forward will include a steady diet of nails on the mound supported by elite defense. A Sun Belt title and a Conway Regional should be the minimum expectation.
UC Santa Barbara comes off a very uncharacteristic 2025 campaign as they finished 4th in the Big West after having very high expectations behind the 1-2 punch of Tyler Bremner and Jackson Flora. UCSB missed the 2023 NCAA Tournament and followed that up by hosting a regional in 2024. Missing the NCAA Tournament last year should only fuel Coach Andrew Checketts' crew once again for this season. The Gauchos' ceiling is SKY HIGH. If someone had the 'Chos ranked in front of Coastal I wouldn't be surprised, I would just expect a very good explanation. Offensively, six of their best hitters from a season ago return, led by Jonathan Mendez (.314 AVG, 11 HR), Nate Vargas (.306, 10 HR) and Xavier Esquer (.281, .852 OPS). Transfers Mitch Namie (New Mexico State) and Nick Husovsky (Ball State) will make immediate impacts as starters in this lineup. Namie hit .340 with seven pumps, while Husovsky hit .336 with 10 blasts last year and nearly a 1.000 OPS. A UCSB squad with a good offense? That would be scary. On the mound, it's a spectacular sight. The Gauchos return nearly everyone, outside of Tyler Bremner, from a staff that ranked 11th in Team ERA a year ago. Jackson Flora (3.60 ERA, 75 IP, 86 K, 17 BB) is arguably the best pitcher in the country and will lead the way on Friday nights. Flora spent the summer with the U.S. Collegiate National Team and features a fastball that can touch triple digits. Calvin Proskey (3.78, 66.2, 71 K, 17 BB) is another very talented arm from the left side that is up to 95. He will likely throw on Saturdays. Donavann Jackson (43 IP, 2.06 ERA), Cole Tryba (31, 3.48), and Nate Aceves (27, 1.65) will all anchor a dominant bullpen. The Sunday spot features a battle between Jackson, Aceves, former LBSU Ace Kellan Montgomery (76, 4.97), and blue chip freshman Josh Jannicelli. All in all, there is a lot to love about this squad. The opening weekend showdown with Southern Miss will be an absolute dandy. The Big West could very easily run through Santa Barbara, California.
UC Irvine has put themselves in the national conversation year in and year out and that's a testament to the consistency and phenomenal work of Ben Orloff and his coaching staff. The 'Eaters will have to figure out how to replace over 1200 ABs from their everyday lineup coming off a Big West reg. season title and Los Angeles regional final appearance. Among the departures are Anthony Martinez and Chase Call, UCI's power hitting duo in 2025. The three big returning bats, Frankie Carney (.331 AVG, .833 OPS), James Castagnola (.269, .835), and Alonso Reyes (.317 AVG, .980 OPS) will need to step up as leaders to pick up vacated slack. Castagnola had a big time weekend in the UCLA regional, and should carry things over to 2026. Tommy Farmer transfers in from Texas and should be a nice boost to the OF group. Now the great news, UC Irvine might have the best pitching staff on the West Coast as they return 46 starts and nearly 400 innings. Trevor Hansen and Brooks Ryder will headline the rotation and Ricky Ojeda is a top 5 reliever in the country that may even factor into the loaded rotation. Finnegan Wall is expected to take a big step forward this year. Peyton Rodgers (San Diego State) could either be the 3rd starter or really bolster that bullpen. The Anteaters will have the pitching to defend their Big West title, but scoring runs might come at a premium.
Death, taxes, Pete Taylor Magic. Southern Miss comes off a 2025 season that felt like heartbreak. The Golden Eagles played their way into a regional hosting bid, but then lost in the regional final to Miami, a swing away from hosting a super regional. Coach Oz has seamlessly taken on the head coach role in Hattiesburg. He's led USM to two straight regional appearances while on his way to already becoming one of the most successful coaches at Southern Miss. The 'Eags 2026 team should feature one of their best lineups in the Oz Era. Over 1,000 ABs and 50+ HRs return. Losing studs like Nick Monistere and Carson Paetow is never fun. But USM has big bopper Matt Russo back along with Joey Urban, Hunter Stockman, and Ben Higdon. They aim to replace most of the power that departed with transfers Kyle Morrison (South Alabama) and Caleb Stelly (Louisiana), who combined to hit .300 with 17 home runs and 80 RBIs last season. As long as the program returners step up as leaders in this offense, I expect runs to be scored. On the bump, there should never be much concern or skepticism as Ostrander has been running this machine for a decade. JB Middleton heading to the pro ranks is a big loss, but Colby Allen turning down the draft was a massive development, and it will be very important to see how he transitions from the back end of the bullpen to a starter. The 'Eags have 250+ quality innings returning with a few impressive freshman who will fill in the cracks. Veterans Kros Sivley (71in 4.14), Grayden Harris (58in 3.39), and Josh Och (36in 4.71) will provide a lot of stability and eat big innings. Thomas Crabtree (Tennessee) intrigues me a lot as a potential weekend starter. Pete Taylor Park hosts a huge opening weekend series as Santa Barbara comes to Hattiesburg. Competing for a Sun Belt title and a regional berth should be the minimum expectation.
Dallas Baptist has continued to dominate under the leadership of Dan Heefner. The Patriots have made 11 straight regional appearances but have had three consecutive early exits from the NCAA Tournament in June. DBU's 2025 campaign didn't quite end the way we envisioned as they lost the C-USA Tournament to J'Ville State and then suffered a disappointing loss to Little Rock in a Baton Rouge Regional elimination game. In 2026, the Patriots could possibly showcase a lesser offense than we are used to coming out of the Dallas Bombers lab. Hear me out, DBU loses over 1,000 at-bats (a top 20 unit across many national statistics) including program staples Grant Jay, Nathan Humphreys and Tom Poole. The Pats will have Keaton Grady (.366 AVG, .980 OPS), Chayton Krauss (.332, 1.014) and Jake Bennett (.276, 1.147) back to anchor the lineup, but a lot of question marks outside of those 3. Landon Underhill (.250, .903) could be a wild card to take a big step this year. Transfers Jude Hall (SELA) and Mac Rose (Vandy) could band-aid the exported talent and step in immediately. Overall, the offense could easily be just fine, but we're taking a wait and see approach. On the mound, Dallas Baptist returns Ryan Borberg (80IP, 3.38 ERA), their best arm from a year ago. Borberg is expected to handle Friday nights. Jerrod Jenkins has over 100 career innings and needs to 1-up his stellar sophomore season. Transfer Tate Hess (Louisiana) brings a 5.89 ERA over 50+ innings to Dallas and could be a helpful addition. Michael Benzor, a Houston transfer, has 95-98 juice from the left-side. He is a sleeper arm with terrible numbers that could take a big step forward. Overall, our fear is that this could be one of the weaker DBU teams we have seen lately.
UTSA had a program-changing season for the ages in 2025. The Roadrunners played in the Los Angeles Super Regional after dominating Texas twice in the Austin Regional. Pat Hallmark was our 2025 Mid-Major Coach of the Year after orchestrating one of the best coaching jobs in the last 10 years. UTSA has one of the smallest budgets and very little school support financially. Yet in 2026, they could be just as good as the '25 squad. Offensively, the 'Runners lose Mason Lytle, Norris McClure and James Taussig, who were their three best bats last season average wise, but return a lot of promising talent. Drew Detlefsen (.310 AVG, 13 HR), Andrew Stucky (.324, .981 OPS) and Caden Miller (.280, .940) will form a strong nucleus in the lineup. Jordan Ballin deserves a mention here with a name like that. He doesn't have much pop, but definitely gets on base.The pitching staff loses Braylon Owens, one of the biggest stars of the '25 team, and Zach Royse, who both combined for 180 innings. Outside those two, everyone returns. Conor Myles (74 IP, 4.86 ERA), Robert Orloski (72, 3.36), Connor Kelley (36, 2.72) and the list goes on. Some very average transfers are coming in that do not impress me at all, but who knows, maybe a change of scenery will get the best out of them. The expectation for UTSA should be competing with East Carolina and possibly back-to-back seasons with an AAC title. Consider us super excited to see how Hallmark works around trying to avoid the hangover.
East Carolina, in theory, should be America's Team. They have everything kids nowadays want in fandom. A sweet mascot/logo (Pirates), one of the coolest ballpark experiences (The Jungle), and newfound support from YouTube mogel, Mr. Beast. East Carolina is coming off one of their more disappointing regular seasons in the Cliff Godwin era, but just when you thought they were down and out, they punched a regional ticket after winning AAC title and battled with Coastal in Conway Regional. The tone will be set every Friday by Ethan Norby, a preseason First Team All-American who returns after a sub-4.00 ERA season, a strikeout rate north of a batter per inning, and the kind of reliability that lets ECU dictate weekends. Sean Jenkins (70in 5.12) also returns and should be going right behind Norby on Saturdays. Offensively, the Pirates bring back a veteran group that posted a team OPS near .780, limits free outs, and thrives on pressure rather than power. Godwin has never been a fan of the portal, but had to address the massive turnover on the pitching staff and brought in 6 arms in total led by Gavin Van Kempen (West Virginia) and Joseph Webb (Liberty) who both should assume pivotal bullpen roles. We will see this team go through 2 very important weekend series this year before conference play starts up, 3 games vs UNC, and 3 games at Coastal Carolina. If they show up and win 3 to 4 games out of those 6, this has the making of another regional hosting team with how the rest of their schedule plays out. Hopefully we look back on this in June and celebrate ECU finally finding their burried treasure in Omaha.
Cal Poly comes off a 41-win season where they won the Big West tournament title and lost to Arizona in the Eugene Regional final. After leading this Mustang program during a strong run from '09–'14, including three straight regional appearances, Larry Lee seems to be turning the corner and has Poly competing for championships again. The 2025 squad didn't have off-the-chart stuff in any position group, but consistency across the board all season gave them a chance. Offensively, the 'Stangs lose two big pieces in Ryan Fenn and Jack Collins, but have a lot of returning talent, including Alejandro Garza (.351 AVG, 6 HR) and Casey Murray (.310, 9). A few other guys, specifically, Nate Castellon at SS, will bring vet experience to this lineup to pair with transfer Ryan Tayman (Cal), who should provide some needed juice in the lineup. Pitching wise, the Mustangs return their entire weekend rotation from '25. Workhorse ace Griffin Naess (95 IP, 3.41 ERA), Saturday guy Josh Volmerding (83, 6.02) and Ethan Marmie. Unfortunately, Marmie will miss the '25 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Transfer Nick Bonn (DBU), formerly the ace of Pepperdine, has 125+ collegiate innings, but rough run prevention stats. Maybe jumping back into the Big West will bring the most out of him. After a solid year as a relieif arm, Laif Palmer (Oregon State) transferred in aiming to earn the remaining spot to start on the weekend. Southpaw bullpen anchors Chris Downs and Josh Morano are back in the fold as well. Overall, Cal Poly will have a lot of maturing to do to keep up with Irvine and Santa Barbara in the Big West. The Mustangs have a good opening weekend test at Campbell.
Creighton is coming off a huge 2025 season where they swept both Big East titles and eventually fell to Arkansas in the Fayetteville Regional final. The Bluejays have a new head man, Mark Kingston, who was the associate head coach last year. I think there is common belief that Kingston is going to do great things in Omaha. Offensively, the 'Jays return nearly 50% of their offensive production, including about 50% of their power production. Their core returning group includes Connor Capece (.351 AVG, .900 OPS), Ben North (.289, 8 HRs) and Tate Gillen (.265, 5 HRs). The intriguing part of the lineup is the quality of transfers Kingston brought in. Rocco Gump (Northwestern State) hit .303 with 8 pumps last season, Lew Rice (Charleston So.) and Isaac Wachsmann (Xavier) both had minor sophomore slumps after stellar freshman seasons. Those 3 will fill in the gaps of this lineup perfectly. On the pitching side of things, there is a lot to like as well. About 55% of last year's innings return to Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. Wilson Magers (72 IP, 3.47 ERA) is a Pitcher of the Year type arm and Ian Koosman (60, 5.07) should complete an experienced 1-2 punch in the rotation, assuming none of the other guys take bigger steps forward. If that was the case, the Bluejays would be even better than this outlook. The bullpen will have a nice mix of length and power. A handful of guys in that group have starts under their belts. All in all, Creighton should be hunting for another Big East title with a legit first two months of non-conf play that could propel them into strong at-large territory.
UTRGV comes off one of their best seasons yet under Coach Derek Matlock, securing 37 wins and a share of the regular season Southland title. The Vaqueros fell short in the Southland tournament to Houston Christian and narrowly missed a postseason at-large bid. There is no time to sit and ponder on that 2025 season, because 2026 looks to be even more promising. Rio Grande Valley returns 65% of their at-bats and 63% of their innings. Both units were Top 60 nationally in many statistical categories. Armani Raygoza (.389, 17 HR, 1.193 OPS), the '25 SLC Player of the Year, is back in UTRGV's lineup. That is HUGE. Easton Moomau (.332 AVG, .844 OPS), Thomas Williams (.275, .861), and Rene Galvan (.266 .942) will round out the returning core. Matlock went and got 2 quality position players out of the transfer portal. Shortstop Diego Villescas (New Orleans) has hit .278 with 8 home runs over the last two years, while Rocco Garza-Gongora (Texas State) has had limited opportunities the last two seasons. During his freshman year at Oklahoma, Garza-Gongora saw 192 plate appearances and batted .293. He is a wild card pick to refind his form as he is projected to be a bigger factor in Edinburg. On the bump, as previously stated, 65% of innings returned, including Victor Loa (56 IP, 3.54 ERA), Wyatt Wiatrek (43, 3.56), and Harrison Thayer (50, 4.86). Add in McNeese transfer Sergio Lopez (53, 2.89), who should be in contention for a rotation spot, along with Colton Vercoe (26, 5.47), a newcomer from Wichita State. Daren Barrera (15, 2.87) and Steven Oliva (30, 3.56) are candidates to take steps forward. All in all, there is a TON to like about this squad, and they are in a great spot to battle with SELA for the Southland title and the right to punch a regional ticket.
UConn's 2025 season came to an end after their 41st ranked RPI was left in the hands of the selection committee, but they did share a Big East regular season title and won 38 games. Coach Jim Penders had a busy offseason as he had to replace nearly his entire Top 20 ranked offense. The good news is Tyler Minick (.355 AVG, 22 HR) is back and should probably be the unanimous preseason Big East Player of the Year. The only other relevant returners are Rob Rispoli (.324, .885 OPS) and Connor Lane (.280, .842), who will need to take major leadership roles alongside Minick to get this offense humming. Penders went and got two big-time D2 sluggers from New Hampshire, Nater Wachter and Jackson Marshall, who both hit .300+ with 15 homers each. If they can translate that to the D1 level, then UConn's offense should not miss a beat. On the mound, 55% of their innings pitched return. Workhorse Oliver Pudvar (70 IP, 3.60 ERA) should occupy the Friday night role. Charlie West (52, 2.58) and Sean Finn (33, 3.00) are the leading candidates to round out that rotation, but there are other strong options at Pender's disposal. The Huskies, depending on how the offense retools, should be neck and neck with Creighton throughout the season for the Big East titles, while trying to make it a 2-bid league.
Troy's 2025 season was quite interesting as the Trojans didn't lose a single weekend series until the final weekend of the season vs Southern Miss. They were the only team to beat Coastal Carolina in a series, yet they missed the postseason for the 2nd year in a row. The 2026 edition could be even more interesting... Troy returns six of their seven regulars on offense, including first baseman Blake Cavill, the heart of their team. Cavill, Steven Meier, Sean Darnell, Gavin Schrader, and Jimmy Janicki all hit over .280 with over 150 ABs each. That's a great core. Skyler Meade had a couple nice pulls out of the portal in Josh Pyne (Indiana) and Aaron Piasecki (Central Michigan), who should become opening day starters. The offense should rumble and score at a high clip. The major issue is on the bump as they lose nearly everyone. Less than 30% of their innings return as Noah Thigpen and Drew Nelson will have to take major steps forward to lead this staff. Some pivotal portal additions are Dylan Alonso (Columbia State CC), Blake Dean (Kansas State) and Hayden Smith (Kentucky). Overall, I think this Troy team will a take a back seat to Coastal Carolina and Southern Miss, but if Meade can navigate this team to June, it will be one of his most notable coaching jobs. Pitching will be the key to success.
Charlotte comes off a strong 2025 campaign that felt just a tad underwhelming with one of the nation's best Friday night guys, Blake Gillespie. Coach Rob Woodard has put his team through some gauntlet-like schedules over the last few years and the 2026 schedule might be their most favorable. The 49ers return the majority of their offensive core with Dawson Bryce (.340 AVG, .989 OPS), Cody Gunderson (.331, 1.010) and Carson Bayne (.291, .884) leading the way. This was a decently strong power hitting team, but struggled to plate runs as they were 193rd in the country with 6.3 runs per game. Supporting the Niners' returning core is a good portal class. The headliner, Alec DeMartino (UNCW), brings three years of .850 OPS production to the Queen City. Dylan Koontz (Campbell/Kentucky) struggled last season, but had a strong summer in the Coastal Plain League. I like this lineup in the AAC. On the mound, Charlotte loses Gillespie, which is no fun, but every other impact arm is back from a Top 30 ranked staff. Andrew Kribbs (65 IP, 4.15 ERA) should be getting the weekends off to a good start. Adam Stanton (36, 4.42) should be another arm in the rotation. Also, there is plenty of returning experience in the pen with Joseph Taylor (57, 4.21) expected to take a big step forward as the door slammer. Overall, this team will compete for an AAC title, and if a few things go their way, I can see a regional bid with how strong The American should be this year.
Missouri State is coming off a share of the Missouri Valley title with Murray State, who we all know played their way into the College World Series. The Bears have been quite dormant since their last regional appearance in 2022, but Coach Joey Hawkins addressed his team's needs very well in the offseason. This squad last year was Top 50 offensively and in the mid-100s on the mound. First things first, at the plate, Missouri State returns potential player of the year Caden Bogenpohl (.296 AVG, 13 HR, 1.007 OPS), Max Knight (.275, 13, .939), and Carter Bergman (.272, 11, .925). A very legit core group, while the portal was very nice to the Bears. Bobby Atkinson (Bradley), Gabe Roessler (Milwaukee), and Bryce Cermenelli (Central Ark.) will all bring some power and high OPS numbers to fill in the cracks. On the bump, the Bears return their whole entire weekend rotation and nearly 70% of their total 2025 innings. All 3 starters bring high-5, low-6 ERAs into 2026, but you can fully expect each of those numbers to drop a full run simply due to experience, as they all logged 60+ innings. The portal coup is highlighted by Ryland Bozenhard (FGCU), who had a solid 4.61 ERA over 56 innings pitched, and Brock Lucas (Missouri), who owns 117 innings of SEC experience, but his era is bloated. In summary, this pitching staff, barring ZERO improvement, should be significantly better to go along with this powerful offense. C-USA should be a fun race to keep an eye on this season with a DBU team that is weaker on paper. Along with Louisiana Tech and Liberty the Bears will be nipping at the Patriots' heels all season.
Liberty is coming off a challenging 2025 campaign that showcased one of the country's worst offenses. The Flames had a team batting average of .248, good for 290th out of 306 teams. Bradley LeCroy did a pretty good job this offseason addressing some of the glaring holes. We will start with the good first, as LU returns 50% of their innings from a Top 50 pitching staff nationally. Ace Ben Blair (83 IP, 3.67 ERA) returns and should be the preseason favorite for C-USA Pitcher of the Year. Josh Swink (39, 4.54), Jake Potts (38, 4.97), and Josh McCusker (31, 4.83) will lead the rest of the returners in starting/bullpen roles. Another arm I am excited to see take that next step is Cooper Harrington. He had a fantastic summer on the Cape. But it doesn't stop there. LeCroy hit the portal for even more pitching as Aydan Decker-Petty (Indiana) and Jaxon Lucas (NC State) could put together solid impact seasons. Offensively, Liberty returns 6 regulars from an abysmal lineup, but you can only expect them to mature and improve after another offseason in the program. Nick Barone (.282 AVG, .868 OPS) and Jaxon Sorenson (.239, 14 HR) could really take that next step and become more consistent hitters. The portal adds at the plate are impressive and really makes Liberty's case strong here. Jordan Jaffe (.364, 1.028 OPS) comes in from Richmond and should immediately be the Flames' best hitter. Ryan Drum (.301, .881) also joins LU from Butler. This is a much better team, and they have a chance to compete with Dallas Baptist, Missouri State and LaTech in the C-USA. We will learn a lot during Weekend No. 2 when they host West Virginia.
Southeastern Louisiana, co-champion of the 2025 Southland regular season, tallied 37 wins last season. The Lions came up short in the conference tournament and that put a damper on what was a rather solid season. SLU's '25 season, statistically speaking, was actually quite impressive as they were nearly in the top 50 in most offensive and pitching categories. The 2026 squad returns a decent amount offensively, including two solid transfer pick-ups in Brody Capps (UT Martin) and Blaise Priester (LSU). Priester doesn't have much of a collegiate resume but had a promising summer stint in the Texas Collegiate League. The pitching side of things looks phenomenal. Hammond America will see 33 of their 54 starts return and nearly 60% of their innings. Blake Lobell (64 IP, 3.90 ERA) and Lakin Polk (46, 2.72) should frontline that rotation while a majority of the bullpen remains in place. Overall, this staff had the 9th ranked era in the country, so you can only assume they finish Top 20ish in that category again. Fully expect then to be in strong contention for SLC title with UTRGV. A very soft OOC schedule gives them a chance to reach that 40 win mark.
Louisiana Tech is ready for the 2026 season to get going, because 2025 was a forgettable one, as the Bulldogs finished 5th in the C-USA standings. Coach Lane Burroughs should have a lot to be excited about in 2026 as the Junkyard Dogs return 70% of their innings, which is nearly their whole staff. Their '26 rotation will all be returners. Brooks Roberson (71 IP, 4.90 ERA) and Luke Cooley (63, 4.95) are expected to lead from the front. The biggest thing that needs to be addressed are the walks... this staff can take a massive step forward if they can limit the free passes. Blake Hooks and Nate Crider are 2 promising arms that I look forward to showing off their development. Florida State transfer, Hudson Rowan, is a wild card that had a decent showing on the Cape. Rowan could really be a good piece if he could limit the walks. Offensively, the Diamond Dogs' returning core is highlighted by their top two sticks from last season: Sebastian Mexico (.315 AVG, .997 OPS) and Trey Hawsey (.295, .944). Zeb Ruddell (.278, .919) and Colton Coates (.244, .923) are some other bats that, with improvements, can really get this lineup humming. Transfers Wesley Scott (Ouachita Baptist) and Colby Lunsford (ULM) should be in line for starting roles as well. All in all, this team will be right there with Liberty and Missouri State trying to dethrone Dallas Baptist.
Florida Atlantic has been steady the last few years, not quite pushing the envelope to become a regional team or hoist the AAC title, but they have been close. The 2025 campaign at times seemed like they were going to make that step after sweeping East Carolina in Greenville, but it wasn't enough. The 2026 squad really could have been something special if Trey Beard had elected to stay in Boca, but he's getting his rightfully earned check in Tallahassee. The offense has a lot of promise, as nearly 50% of at-bats return, led by Marshall Lipsey (.318 AVG, 12 HR), Brando Leroux (.319, 5) and John Martinez (.284, 3 HR). The rest of the returning experience is filled up with a lot of split-time or platoon plate appearances. Transfer Xavier Moronta (Nova/App St) is a big-time addition with 3 years of legit production, hitting .330 in over 500 at-bats. The pitching side of things, as I mentioned earlier, could have been really special with Beard, but onward and upward for the Owls. They return James Litman (60 IP, 5.04 ERA) and Tyler Murhpy (63, 5.57) to kick their weekends off. Adding to their returning innings is transfer Carson Kimball (New Orleans), who should provide an immediate impact. This team has the bones to be in contention for an AAC title, but East Carolina and UTSA will be a tough mountain to climb.
Murray State enters 2026 with a newfound confidence and a revitalized fanbase after a trip to Omaha that nobody saw coming. The 2025 run was fueled by a lineup that caught fire at the right time, it was truly impressive to watch, but the quieter truth is the Racers owned the best pitching staff in the MVC by a wide margin, and that foundation looks even sturdier with eight of their nine most-used arms (by innings) back. Dan Skirka isn’t leaning on nostalgia either, he attacked the portal with intent, adding 10 new position players, nine of them upperclassmen, while betting on upside with Anthony Perritano (USC) as a high-ceiling piece. The offense still has anchors in Luke Mistone and ’25 MVC Freshman of the Year Conner Cunningham, who returns to shortstop as the tone-setter. Last year may have shocked the sport, but this year’s version looks less like a fairy tale and more like a program trying to prove that winning the Missouri Valley Conference ain't no joke.
Wright State made some serious noise in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, eliminating Vanderbilt and reaching the Nashville Regional Final. Coach Alex Sogard once again did a tremendous job retaining talented players on his roster, and development has never been an issue for the Raiders. Led by star juniors JP Peltier (.303 1.019 20 HR) and Cam Gilkerson (.303, .959), the Raidergang returns six starters from the position player group that all batted over .300. Sogard did not dip into the transfer portal a ton. If there was one impact transfer, it is probably Zac Butler (Arkansas State), who will compete for starts behind the plate in an effort to replace the massive hole that Boston Smith leaves behind. Wright State also brings back six pitchers that threw 20+ innings (31 starts) from 2025. That group is headlined by Cam Allen (67in, 4.95). Last year, the hard-throwing right-hander put up six no-hit innings against Vanderbilt in the Nashville Regional. Chet Lax (48in 5.18) is a crafty lefty that has tossed 105 innings (15 starts) in two seasons at WSU. Thanks to Sogard's pitching background, the Raiders always have fresh, new faces that perform well in the Horizon League. Redshirt freshman two-way-talent LHP Keegan Holmstrom is the breakout pick. Holmstrom spent his summer dominating the Prospect League, posting a 1.48 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 30.1 innings. Sogard has established a dynasty at Wright State. The Raidergang are the favorites to win their eighth consecutive regular season Horizon League title and represent the conference in the Big Dance for the fifth time in the last six years.
After a promising first season under new leadership, USF Baseball enters 2026 with real momentum and a veteran squad that has 28 players who are either juniors or seniors. In year 1, Mitch Hannahs (over 350 wins and five NCAA Tournament appearances at Indiana State) took a struggling Bulls program and immediately lifted it above mediocrity. He guided South Florida to a 31-25 record and the most league wins since 2013-14, and finished well above preseason expectations. Heading into 2026, the Bulls have a roster that embraces a gritty, detail-oriented identity that aligns with Hannahs’ blueprint. They return Matt Rose (.322 AVG, .807 OPS) and some serviceable veterans. Hannahs hammered the portal efficiently and brought in some really good players, including Juan Correa (App State) and Joey Brenczewski (Indiana). One player to keep an eye out for is Jevin Relaford (DII Florida Southern), who led the NCAA in stolen bases (68) last season. On the mound, Hannahs is going to have to press the right buttons, mixing and matching until he finds his weekend rotation and high-leverage bullpen arms after losing the whole weekend rotation from last year's team. The arms this year are talented, but unproven at the Division 1 level. There's no doubt that an at-large birth is the goal for the Bulls, but I'm also not counting out an AAC Championship. They play conference weekend series on the road at ECU, Charlotte, UTSA, and Tulane... an absolute gauntlet of a conference schedule, but great for the RPI.
Preseason rankings don't mean shit, but this is your warning to watch out for Bethune-Cookman this year. After last year’s SWAC title and NCAA trip, highlighted by a tournament championship game walk-off bomb, the Wildcats are back with a roster built for chaos: fast, experienced, and packing violent middle-of-the-order power. Andrey Martinez (.353 AVG, 20 HR) is the obvious star, but the engine's real horsepower comes from table-setters like Sergio Rivera and Darryl Lee, who can steal your lunch money and your wins in the same inning. Jeter Polledo, Erick Almonte, and Jesus Vanegas provide steady thunder, while Jorge Rodriguez adds that extra sledgehammer in the lineup. On the mound, Edwin Sanchez (8-1, 82.2 IP, 3.05 ERA, 101 K) is the bulldog ace that everyone fears, while Pablo Torres, Jean Zambrano, and the wild card Justin Morales give the staff a lethal mix of strikes, velocity, and volatility. If Morales becomes the weapon everyone knows he can be, the Wildcats aren’t just the SWAC favorites—they’re a regional nightmare waiting to happen. This is the kind of team that can beat anyone, anywhere, in a blur of speed, slugging, and anarchy.
Austin Peay baseball isn’t rebuilding, they’re reloading with the volume turned all the way up. Last year, the Govs posted a dominant 45–14 (26–4 ASUN) season. Coach Roland Fanning's bunch loses 40 homers to graduation, but the Governors still look like a dangerous mid-major team powered by a loud, high-energy culture, veteran bats, and strike-throwing arms. Led by Raymond “Switchblade” Velazquez, an alpha presence in the middle of the order, the lineup is deep, athletic, and fearless. Other impact returners, Andres Matias, Kyler Proctor, Cole Johnson, and breakout catcher Keaton Cottam will make life miserable for ASUN pitchers. On the mound, AP could be ready with war paint if Cody Airington returns healthy and Kaleb Applebey transitions smoothly into the rotation while the bullpen stabilizes late. The formula is there: win the ASUN, survive the chaos of May, and finally kick the door down into an NCAA Regional. This isn’t a surprise team, this is a program ready to make the jump from a mid-major menace to a national problem.
Nevada had very interesting offseason as HC Jake McKinley took a job with the Seattle Mariners in December leaving behind a pretty legit roster and handing the reigns off to Jordan Getzelman who will 100% be prepared for this opportunity. Wolfpack return nearly 70% of their offense including 55 HRs. Junhyuk Kwon (.346 1.012 OPS), Sean Yamaguchi (.324 .944), Billy Ham (.340 1.010) and Jayce Dobie (.339 .939) will headline a very potent offense with portal add Sam Kane (Seattle) who hit .291 with 22 HRs in 2 seasons. On the bump, Nevada returns about 50% of innings and all eras are near 5 and north. You can adjust a run or so for the altitude they play at most of the season. Alessandro Castro (72in 5.33) should take the Friday night job and significantly improve on his 15 starts from a year ago. 2-way stud Jayce Dobie (43in 6.07) will probably pitch on Sundays. Logan Saloman (40in 4.46) and Dominic Desch (39in 4.15) should anchor that bullpen unless one of them needs to move into a starting role. All in all, if this pitching staff can take a step forward, this team will win a lot of games behind that potent lineup. Exciting team to watch, and get their first test opening weekend at Ole Miss.
Coming off the greatest season in program history: 49 wins, the nation's best pitching staff, a CAA title sweep, and a NCAA Tournament appearance. Coach Mike Glavine has made Northeastern baseball relevant rather quickly over the last four seasons. The 2026 squad looks nothing like the 2025 team as they lose nearly 90% of their innings pitched and more than half of their at-bats. The early indication is the Huskies have lots of talent coming in, but with zero experience. We were truly impressed that they were able to keep CAA Player of the Year Harrison Feinberg around, knowing this season's team could have a low floor. In this portal era, Feinberg (.367 AVG, 1.170 OPS, 18 HR, 37 SB) could probably have gone to any school of his choosing. The Huskies have some promising offensive pieces, but the pitching staff is a MAJOR question mark. You just have to trust Glavine's track record, and expect him to figure things out.
Our pride and joy, the 2026 Preseason Mid Major Power Rankings is out and our outlook on each team:
Totally shocking and unpredictable seeing Coastal Carolina in this #1 spot, right? The Chanticleers are coming off a historical run through the postseason that included a 26-game win streak before losing two games by a combined three runs against LSU and finishing as national runner-up. Kevin Schnall didn't miss a beat, becoming head coach and arguably elevated the program after replacing the long-tenured HC Gary Gilmore. With all of that accounted for, remember what Detroit's Dan Campbell once said, "you never know if you're gonna be back." That could ring true for any program, but the Chants return a good amount of their stout pitching staff (~50% of innings). Having Cameron Flukey lead the way on the mound will keep things business as usual. Ryan Lynch (0.58 ERA), Darin Horn (2.73), and Dominick Carbone (2.36) should be one of the best 7-8-9's in the country. The Chanticleers lose program legend Caden Bodine behind the plate and Sebastian Alexander, but other than that, they return a good chunk of their lineup. Senior 2B Blake Barthol will be the undisputed leader alongside senior outfielder Dean Mihos in 2026. Transfers Jordan Taylor (Stetson), Rex Watson (San Diego), and Brayden Horton (Oklahoma) should make an immediate impact and shore up holes created by departing talent. Watson (.295 AVG, .932 OPS, 13 HR) should quickly have a major impact in the middle of that lineup. Coastal's identity over the years has been fireworks from the batter's box and survival on the mound. After last year, maybe Schnall's team strengths going forward will include a steady diet of nails on the mound supported by elite defense. A Sun Belt title and a Conway Regional should be the minimum expectation.
UC Santa Barbara comes off a very uncharacteristic 2025 campaign as they finished 4th in the Big West after having very high expectations behind the 1-2 punch of Tyler Bremner and Jackson Flora. UCSB missed the 2023 NCAA Tournament and followed that up by hosting a regional in 2024. Missing the NCAA Tournament last year should only fuel Coach Andrew Checketts' crew once again for this season. The Gauchos' ceiling is SKY HIGH. If someone had the 'Chos ranked in front of Coastal I wouldn't be surprised, I would just expect a very good explanation. Offensively, six of their best hitters from a season ago return, led by Jonathan Mendez (.314 AVG, 11 HR), Nate Vargas (.306, 10 HR) and Xavier Esquer (.281, .852 OPS). Transfers Mitch Namie (New Mexico State) and Nick Husovsky (Ball State) will make immediate impacts as starters in this lineup. Namie hit .340 with seven pumps, while Husovsky hit .336 with 10 blasts last year and nearly a 1.000 OPS. A UCSB squad with a good offense? That would be scary. On the mound, it's a spectacular sight. The Gauchos return nearly everyone, outside of Tyler Bremner, from a staff that ranked 11th in Team ERA a year ago. Jackson Flora (3.60 ERA, 75 IP, 86 K, 17 BB) is arguably the best pitcher in the country and will lead the way on Friday nights. Flora spent the summer with the U.S. Collegiate National Team and features a fastball that can touch triple digits. Calvin Proskey (3.78, 66.2, 71 K, 17 BB) is another very talented arm from the left side that is up to 95. He will likely throw on Saturdays. Donavann Jackson (43 IP, 2.06 ERA), Cole Tryba (31, 3.48), and Nate Aceves (27, 1.65) will all anchor a dominant bullpen. The Sunday spot features a battle between Jackson, Aceves, former LBSU Ace Kellan Montgomery (76, 4.97), and blue chip freshman Josh Jannicelli. All in all, there is a lot to love about this squad. The opening weekend showdown with Southern Miss will be an absolute dandy. The Big West could very easily run through Santa Barbara, California.
UC Irvine has put themselves in the national conversation year in and year out and that's a testament to the consistency and phenomenal work of Ben Orloff and his coaching staff. The 'Eaters will have to figure out how to replace over 1200 ABs from their everyday lineup coming off a Big West reg. season title and Los Angeles regional final appearance. Among the departures are Anthony Martinez and Chase Call, UCI's power hitting duo in 2025. The three big returning bats, Frankie Carney (.331 AVG, .833 OPS), James Castagnola (.269, .835), and Alonso Reyes (.317 AVG, .980 OPS) will need to step up as leaders to pick up vacated slack. Castagnola had a big time weekend in the UCLA regional, and should carry things over to 2026. Tommy Farmer transfers in from Texas and should be a nice boost to the OF group. Now the great news, UC Irvine might have the best pitching staff on the West Coast as they return 46 starts and nearly 400 innings. Trevor Hansen and Brooks Ryder will headline the rotation and Ricky Ojeda is a top 5 reliever in the country that may even factor into the loaded rotation. Finnegan Wall is expected to take a big step forward this year. Peyton Rodgers (San Diego State) could either be the 3rd starter or really bolster that bullpen. The Anteaters will have the pitching to defend their Big West title, but scoring runs might come at a premium.
Death, taxes, Pete Taylor Magic. Southern Miss comes off a 2025 season that felt like heartbreak. The Golden Eagles played their way into a regional hosting bid, but then lost in the regional final to Miami, a swing away from hosting a super regional. Coach Oz has seamlessly taken on the head coach role in Hattiesburg. He's led USM to two straight regional appearances while on his way to already becoming one of the most successful coaches at Southern Miss. The 'Eags 2026 team should feature one of their best lineups in the Oz Era. Over 1,000 ABs and 50+ HRs return. Losing studs like Nick Monistere and Carson Paetow is never fun. But USM has big bopper Matt Russo back along with Joey Urban, Hunter Stockman, and Ben Higdon. They aim to replace most of the power that departed with transfers Kyle Morrison (South Alabama) and Caleb Stelly (Louisiana), who combined to hit .300 with 17 home runs and 80 RBIs last season. As long as the program returners step up as leaders in this offense, I expect runs to be scored. On the bump, there should never be much concern or skepticism as Ostrander has been running this machine for a decade. JB Middleton heading to the pro ranks is a big loss, but Colby Allen turning down the draft was a massive development, and it will be very important to see how he transitions from the back end of the bullpen to a starter. The 'Eags have 250+ quality innings returning with a few impressive freshman who will fill in the cracks. Veterans Kros Sivley (71in 4.14), Grayden Harris (58in 3.39), and Josh Och (36in 4.71) will provide a lot of stability and eat big innings. Thomas Crabtree (Tennessee) intrigues me a lot as a potential weekend starter. Pete Taylor Park hosts a huge opening weekend series as Santa Barbara comes to Hattiesburg. Competing for a Sun Belt title and a regional berth should be the minimum expectation.
Dallas Baptist has continued to dominate under the leadership of Dan Heefner. The Patriots have made 11 straight regional appearances but have had three consecutive early exits from the NCAA Tournament in June. DBU's 2025 campaign didn't quite end the way we envisioned as they lost the C-USA Tournament to J'Ville State and then suffered a disappointing loss to Little Rock in a Baton Rouge Regional elimination game. In 2026, the Patriots could possibly showcase a lesser offense than we are used to coming out of the Dallas Bombers lab. Hear me out, DBU loses over 1,000 at-bats (a top 20 unit across many national statistics) including program staples Grant Jay, Nathan Humphreys and Tom Poole. The Pats will have Keaton Grady (.366 AVG, .980 OPS), Chayton Krauss (.332, 1.014) and Jake Bennett (.276, 1.147) back to anchor the lineup, but a lot of question marks outside of those 3. Landon Underhill (.250, .903) could be a wild card to take a big step this year. Transfers Jude Hall (SELA) and Mac Rose (Vandy) could band-aid the exported talent and step in immediately. Overall, the offense could easily be just fine, but we're taking a wait and see approach. On the mound, Dallas Baptist returns Ryan Borberg (80IP, 3.38 ERA), their best arm from a year ago. Borberg is expected to handle Friday nights. Jerrod Jenkins has over 100 career innings and needs to 1-up his stellar sophomore season. Transfer Tate Hess (Louisiana) brings a 5.89 ERA over 50+ innings to Dallas and could be a helpful addition. Michael Benzor, a Houston transfer, has 95-98 juice from the left-side. He is a sleeper arm with terrible numbers that could take a big step forward. Overall, our fear is that this could be one of the weaker DBU teams we have seen lately.
UTSA had a program-changing season for the ages in 2025. The Roadrunners played in the Los Angeles Super Regional after dominating Texas twice in the Austin Regional. Pat Hallmark was our 2025 Mid-Major Coach of the Year after orchestrating one of the best coaching jobs in the last 10 years. UTSA has one of the smallest budgets and very little school support financially. Yet in 2026, they could be just as good as the '25 squad. Offensively, the 'Runners lose Mason Lytle, Norris McClure and James Taussig, who were their three best bats last season average wise, but return a lot of promising talent. Drew Detlefsen (.310 AVG, 13 HR), Andrew Stucky (.324, .981 OPS) and Caden Miller (.280, .940) will form a strong nucleus in the lineup. Jordan Ballin deserves a mention here with a name like that. He doesn't have much pop, but definitely gets on base.The pitching staff loses Braylon Owens, one of the biggest stars of the '25 team, and Zach Royse, who both combined for 180 innings. Outside those two, everyone returns. Conor Myles (74 IP, 4.86 ERA), Robert Orloski (72, 3.36), Connor Kelley (36, 2.72) and the list goes on. Some very average transfers are coming in that do not impress me at all, but who knows, maybe a change of scenery will get the best out of them. The expectation for UTSA should be competing with East Carolina and possibly back-to-back seasons with an AAC title. Consider us super excited to see how Hallmark works around trying to avoid the hangover.
East Carolina, in theory, should be America's Team. They have everything kids nowadays want in fandom. A sweet mascot/logo (Pirates), one of the coolest ballpark experiences (The Jungle), and newfound support from YouTube mogel, Mr. Beast. East Carolina is coming off one of their more disappointing regular seasons in the Cliff Godwin era, but just when you thought they were down and out, they punched a regional ticket after winning AAC title and battled with Coastal in Conway Regional. The tone will be set every Friday by Ethan Norby, a preseason First Team All-American who returns after a sub-4.00 ERA season, a strikeout rate north of a batter per inning, and the kind of reliability that lets ECU dictate weekends. Sean Jenkins (70in 5.12) also returns and should be going right behind Norby on Saturdays. Offensively, the Pirates bring back a veteran group that posted a team OPS near .780, limits free outs, and thrives on pressure rather than power. Godwin has never been a fan of the portal, but had to address the massive turnover on the pitching staff and brought in 6 arms in total led by Gavin Van Kempen (West Virginia) and Joseph Webb (Liberty) who both should assume pivotal bullpen roles. We will see this team go through 2 very important weekend series this year before conference play starts up, 3 games vs UNC, and 3 games at Coastal Carolina. If they show up and win 3 to 4 games out of those 6, this has the making of another regional hosting team with how the rest of their schedule plays out. Hopefully we look back on this in June and celebrate ECU finally finding their burried treasure in Omaha.
Cal Poly comes off a 41-win season where they won the Big West tournament title and lost to Arizona in the Eugene Regional final. After leading this Mustang program during a strong run from '09–'14, including three straight regional appearances, Larry Lee seems to be turning the corner and has Poly competing for championships again. The 2025 squad didn't have off-the-chart stuff in any position group, but consistency across the board all season gave them a chance. Offensively, the 'Stangs lose two big pieces in Ryan Fenn and Jack Collins, but have a lot of returning talent, including Alejandro Garza (.351 AVG, 6 HR) and Casey Murray (.310, 9). A few other guys, specifically, Nate Castellon at SS, will bring vet experience to this lineup to pair with transfer Ryan Tayman (Cal), who should provide some needed juice in the lineup. Pitching wise, the Mustangs return their entire weekend rotation from '25. Workhorse ace Griffin Naess (95 IP, 3.41 ERA), Saturday guy Josh Volmerding (83, 6.02) and Ethan Marmie. Unfortunately, Marmie will miss the '25 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Transfer Nick Bonn (DBU), formerly the ace of Pepperdine, has 125+ collegiate innings, but rough run prevention stats. Maybe jumping back into the Big West will bring the most out of him. After a solid year as a relieif arm, Laif Palmer (Oregon State) transferred in aiming to earn the remaining spot to start on the weekend. Southpaw bullpen anchors Chris Downs and Josh Morano are back in the fold as well. Overall, Cal Poly will have a lot of maturing to do to keep up with Irvine and Santa Barbara in the Big West. The Mustangs have a good opening weekend test at Campbell.
Creighton is coming off a huge 2025 season where they swept both Big East titles and eventually fell to Arkansas in the Fayetteville Regional final. The Bluejays have a new head man, Mark Kingston, who was the associate head coach last year. I think there is common belief that Kingston is going to do great things in Omaha. Offensively, the 'Jays return nearly 50% of their offensive production, including about 50% of their power production. Their core returning group includes Connor Capece (.351 AVG, .900 OPS), Ben North (.289, 8 HRs) and Tate Gillen (.265, 5 HRs). The intriguing part of the lineup is the quality of transfers Kingston brought in. Rocco Gump (Northwestern State) hit .303 with 8 pumps last season, Lew Rice (Charleston So.) and Isaac Wachsmann (Xavier) both had minor sophomore slumps after stellar freshman seasons. Those 3 will fill in the gaps of this lineup perfectly. On the pitching side of things, there is a lot to like as well. About 55% of last year's innings return to Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. Wilson Magers (72 IP, 3.47 ERA) is a Pitcher of the Year type arm and Ian Koosman (60, 5.07) should complete an experienced 1-2 punch in the rotation, assuming none of the other guys take bigger steps forward. If that was the case, the Bluejays would be even better than this outlook. The bullpen will have a nice mix of length and power. A handful of guys in that group have starts under their belts. All in all, Creighton should be hunting for another Big East title with a legit first two months of non-conf play that could propel them into strong at-large territory.
UTRGV comes off one of their best seasons yet under Coach Derek Matlock, securing 37 wins and a share of the regular season Southland title. The Vaqueros fell short in the Southland tournament to Houston Christian and narrowly missed a postseason at-large bid. There is no time to sit and ponder on that 2025 season, because 2026 looks to be even more promising. Rio Grande Valley returns 65% of their at-bats and 63% of their innings. Both units were Top 60 nationally in many statistical categories. Armani Raygoza (.389, 17 HR, 1.193 OPS), the '25 SLC Player of the Year, is back in UTRGV's lineup. That is HUGE. Easton Moomau (.332 AVG, .844 OPS), Thomas Williams (.275, .861), and Rene Galvan (.266 .942) will round out the returning core. Matlock went and got 2 quality position players out of the transfer portal. Shortstop Diego Villescas (New Orleans) has hit .278 with 8 home runs over the last two years, while Rocco Garza-Gongora (Texas State) has had limited opportunities the last two seasons. During his freshman year at Oklahoma, Garza-Gongora saw 192 plate appearances and batted .293. He is a wild card pick to refind his form as he is projected to be a bigger factor in Edinburg. On the bump, as previously stated, 65% of innings returned, including Victor Loa (56 IP, 3.54 ERA), Wyatt Wiatrek (43, 3.56), and Harrison Thayer (50, 4.86). Add in McNeese transfer Sergio Lopez (53, 2.89), who should be in contention for a rotation spot, along with Colton Vercoe (26, 5.47), a newcomer from Wichita State. Daren Barrera (15, 2.87) and Steven Oliva (30, 3.56) are candidates to take steps forward. All in all, there is a TON to like about this squad, and they are in a great spot to battle with SELA for the Southland title and the right to punch a regional ticket.
UConn's 2025 season came to an end after their 41st ranked RPI was left in the hands of the selection committee, but they did share a Big East regular season title and won 38 games. Coach Jim Penders had a busy offseason as he had to replace nearly his entire Top 20 ranked offense. The good news is Tyler Minick (.355 AVG, 22 HR) is back and should probably be the unanimous preseason Big East Player of the Year. The only other relevant returners are Rob Rispoli (.324, .885 OPS) and Connor Lane (.280, .842), who will need to take major leadership roles alongside Minick to get this offense humming. Penders went and got two big-time D2 sluggers from New Hampshire, Nater Wachter and Jackson Marshall, who both hit .300+ with 15 homers each. If they can translate that to the D1 level, then UConn's offense should not miss a beat. On the mound, 55% of their innings pitched return. Workhorse Oliver Pudvar (70 IP, 3.60 ERA) should occupy the Friday night role. Charlie West (52, 2.58) and Sean Finn (33, 3.00) are the leading candidates to round out that rotation, but there are other strong options at Pender's disposal. The Huskies, depending on how the offense retools, should be neck and neck with Creighton throughout the season for the Big East titles, while trying to make it a 2-bid league.
Troy's 2025 season was quite interesting as the Trojans didn't lose a single weekend series until the final weekend of the season vs Southern Miss. They were the only team to beat Coastal Carolina in a series, yet they missed the postseason for the 2nd year in a row. The 2026 edition could be even more interesting... Troy returns six of their seven regulars on offense, including first baseman Blake Cavill, the heart of their team. Cavill, Steven Meier, Sean Darnell, Gavin Schrader, and Jimmy Janicki all hit over .280 with over 150 ABs each. That's a great core. Skyler Meade had a couple nice pulls out of the portal in Josh Pyne (Indiana) and Aaron Piasecki (Central Michigan), who should become opening day starters. The offense should rumble and score at a high clip. The major issue is on the bump as they lose nearly everyone. Less than 30% of their innings return as Noah Thigpen and Drew Nelson will have to take major steps forward to lead this staff. Some pivotal portal additions are Dylan Alonso (Columbia State CC), Blake Dean (Kansas State) and Hayden Smith (Kentucky). Overall, I think this Troy team will a take a back seat to Coastal Carolina and Southern Miss, but if Meade can navigate this team to June, it will be one of his most notable coaching jobs. Pitching will be the key to success.
Charlotte comes off a strong 2025 campaign that felt just a tad underwhelming with one of the nation's best Friday night guys, Blake Gillespie. Coach Rob Woodard has put his team through some gauntlet-like schedules over the last few years and the 2026 schedule might be their most favorable. The 49ers return the majority of their offensive core with Dawson Bryce (.340 AVG, .989 OPS), Cody Gunderson (.331, 1.010) and Carson Bayne (.291, .884) leading the way. This was a decently strong power hitting team, but struggled to plate runs as they were 193rd in the country with 6.3 runs per game. Supporting the Niners' returning core is a good portal class. The headliner, Alec DeMartino (UNCW), brings three years of .850 OPS production to the Queen City. Dylan Koontz (Campbell/Kentucky) struggled last season, but had a strong summer in the Coastal Plain League. I like this lineup in the AAC. On the mound, Charlotte loses Gillespie, which is no fun, but every other impact arm is back from a Top 30 ranked staff. Andrew Kribbs (65 IP, 4.15 ERA) should be getting the weekends off to a good start. Adam Stanton (36, 4.42) should be another arm in the rotation. Also, there is plenty of returning experience in the pen with Joseph Taylor (57, 4.21) expected to take a big step forward as the door slammer. Overall, this team will compete for an AAC title, and if a few things go their way, I can see a regional bid with how strong The American should be this year.
Missouri State is coming off a share of the Missouri Valley title with Murray State, who we all know played their way into the College World Series. The Bears have been quite dormant since their last regional appearance in 2022, but Coach Joey Hawkins addressed his team's needs very well in the offseason. This squad last year was Top 50 offensively and in the mid-100s on the mound. First things first, at the plate, Missouri State returns potential player of the year Caden Bogenpohl (.296 AVG, 13 HR, 1.007 OPS), Max Knight (.275, 13, .939), and Carter Bergman (.272, 11, .925). A very legit core group, while the portal was very nice to the Bears. Bobby Atkinson (Bradley), Gabe Roessler (Milwaukee), and Bryce Cermenelli (Central Ark.) will all bring some power and high OPS numbers to fill in the cracks. On the bump, the Bears return their whole entire weekend rotation and nearly 70% of their total 2025 innings. All 3 starters bring high-5, low-6 ERAs into 2026, but you can fully expect each of those numbers to drop a full run simply due to experience, as they all logged 60+ innings. The portal coup is highlighted by Ryland Bozenhard (FGCU), who had a solid 4.61 ERA over 56 innings pitched, and Brock Lucas (Missouri), who owns 117 innings of SEC experience, but his era is bloated. In summary, this pitching staff, barring ZERO improvement, should be significantly better to go along with this powerful offense. C-USA should be a fun race to keep an eye on this season with a DBU team that is weaker on paper. Along with Louisiana Tech and Liberty the Bears will be nipping at the Patriots' heels all season.
Liberty is coming off a challenging 2025 campaign that showcased one of the country's worst offenses. The Flames had a team batting average of .248, good for 290th out of 306 teams. Bradley LeCroy did a pretty good job this offseason addressing some of the glaring holes. We will start with the good first, as LU returns 50% of their innings from a Top 50 pitching staff nationally. Ace Ben Blair (83 IP, 3.67 ERA) returns and should be the preseason favorite for C-USA Pitcher of the Year. Josh Swink (39, 4.54), Jake Potts (38, 4.97), and Josh McCusker (31, 4.83) will lead the rest of the returners in starting/bullpen roles. Another arm I am excited to see take that next step is Cooper Harrington. He had a fantastic summer on the Cape. But it doesn't stop there. LeCroy hit the portal for even more pitching as Aydan Decker-Petty (Indiana) and Jaxon Lucas (NC State) could put together solid impact seasons. Offensively, Liberty returns 6 regulars from an abysmal lineup, but you can only expect them to mature and improve after another offseason in the program. Nick Barone (.282 AVG, .868 OPS) and Jaxon Sorenson (.239, 14 HR) could really take that next step and become more consistent hitters. The portal adds at the plate are impressive and really makes Liberty's case strong here. Jordan Jaffe (.364, 1.028 OPS) comes in from Richmond and should immediately be the Flames' best hitter. Ryan Drum (.301, .881) also joins LU from Butler. This is a much better team, and they have a chance to compete with Dallas Baptist, Missouri State and LaTech in the C-USA. We will learn a lot during Weekend No. 2 when they host West Virginia.
Southeastern Louisiana, co-champion of the 2025 Southland regular season, tallied 37 wins last season. The Lions came up short in the conference tournament and that put a damper on what was a rather solid season. SLU's '25 season, statistically speaking, was actually quite impressive as they were nearly in the top 50 in most offensive and pitching categories. The 2026 squad returns a decent amount offensively, including two solid transfer pick-ups in Brody Capps (UT Martin) and Blaise Priester (LSU). Priester doesn't have much of a collegiate resume but had a promising summer stint in the Texas Collegiate League. The pitching side of things looks phenomenal. Hammond America will see 33 of their 54 starts return and nearly 60% of their innings. Blake Lobell (64 IP, 3.90 ERA) and Lakin Polk (46, 2.72) should frontline that rotation while a majority of the bullpen remains in place. Overall, this staff had the 9th ranked era in the country, so you can only assume they finish Top 20ish in that category again. Fully expect then to be in strong contention for SLC title with UTRGV. A very soft OOC schedule gives them a chance to reach that 40 win mark.
Louisiana Tech is ready for the 2026 season to get going, because 2025 was a forgettable one, as the Bulldogs finished 5th in the C-USA standings. Coach Lane Burroughs should have a lot to be excited about in 2026 as the Junkyard Dogs return 70% of their innings, which is nearly their whole staff. Their '26 rotation will all be returners. Brooks Roberson (71 IP, 4.90 ERA) and Luke Cooley (63, 4.95) are expected to lead from the front. The biggest thing that needs to be addressed are the walks... this staff can take a massive step forward if they can limit the free passes. Blake Hooks and Nate Crider are 2 promising arms that I look forward to showing off their development. Florida State transfer, Hudson Rowan, is a wild card that had a decent showing on the Cape. Rowan could really be a good piece if he could limit the walks. Offensively, the Diamond Dogs' returning core is highlighted by their top two sticks from last season: Sebastian Mexico (.315 AVG, .997 OPS) and Trey Hawsey (.295, .944). Zeb Ruddell (.278, .919) and Colton Coates (.244, .923) are some other bats that, with improvements, can really get this lineup humming. Transfers Wesley Scott (Ouachita Baptist) and Colby Lunsford (ULM) should be in line for starting roles as well. All in all, this team will be right there with Liberty and Missouri State trying to dethrone Dallas Baptist.
Florida Atlantic has been steady the last few years, not quite pushing the envelope to become a regional team or hoist the AAC title, but they have been close. The 2025 campaign at times seemed like they were going to make that step after sweeping East Carolina in Greenville, but it wasn't enough. The 2026 squad really could have been something special if Trey Beard had elected to stay in Boca, but he's getting his rightfully earned check in Tallahassee. The offense has a lot of promise, as nearly 50% of at-bats return, led by Marshall Lipsey (.318 AVG, 12 HR), Brando Leroux (.319, 5) and John Martinez (.284, 3 HR). The rest of the returning experience is filled up with a lot of split-time or platoon plate appearances. Transfer Xavier Moronta (Nova/App St) is a big-time addition with 3 years of legit production, hitting .330 in over 500 at-bats. The pitching side of things, as I mentioned earlier, could have been really special with Beard, but onward and upward for the Owls. They return James Litman (60 IP, 5.04 ERA) and Tyler Murhpy (63, 5.57) to kick their weekends off. Adding to their returning innings is transfer Carson Kimball (New Orleans), who should provide an immediate impact. This team has the bones to be in contention for an AAC title, but East Carolina and UTSA will be a tough mountain to climb.
Murray State enters 2026 with a newfound confidence and a revitalized fanbase after a trip to Omaha that nobody saw coming. The 2025 run was fueled by a lineup that caught fire at the right time, it was truly impressive to watch, but the quieter truth is the Racers owned the best pitching staff in the MVC by a wide margin, and that foundation looks even sturdier with eight of their nine most-used arms (by innings) back. Dan Skirka isn’t leaning on nostalgia either, he attacked the portal with intent, adding 10 new position players, nine of them upperclassmen, while betting on upside with Anthony Perritano (USC) as a high-ceiling piece. The offense still has anchors in Luke Mistone and ’25 MVC Freshman of the Year Conner Cunningham, who returns to shortstop as the tone-setter. Last year may have shocked the sport, but this year’s version looks less like a fairy tale and more like a program trying to prove that winning the Missouri Valley Conference ain't no joke.
Wright State made some serious noise in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, eliminating Vanderbilt and reaching the Nashville Regional Final. Coach Alex Sogard once again did a tremendous job retaining talented players on his roster, and development has never been an issue for the Raiders. Led by star juniors JP Peltier (.303 1.019 20 HR) and Cam Gilkerson (.303, .959), the Raidergang returns six starters from the position player group that all batted over .300. Sogard did not dip into the transfer portal a ton. If there was one impact transfer, it is probably Zac Butler (Arkansas State), who will compete for starts behind the plate in an effort to replace the massive hole that Boston Smith leaves behind. Wright State also brings back six pitchers that threw 20+ innings (31 starts) from 2025. That group is headlined by Cam Allen (67in, 4.95). Last year, the hard-throwing right-hander put up six no-hit innings against Vanderbilt in the Nashville Regional. Chet Lax (48in 5.18) is a crafty lefty that has tossed 105 innings (15 starts) in two seasons at WSU. Thanks to Sogard's pitching background, the Raiders always have fresh, new faces that perform well in the Horizon League. Redshirt freshman two-way-talent LHP Keegan Holmstrom is the breakout pick. Holmstrom spent his summer dominating the Prospect League, posting a 1.48 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 30.1 innings. Sogard has established a dynasty at Wright State. The Raidergang are the favorites to win their eighth consecutive regular season Horizon League title and represent the conference in the Big Dance for the fifth time in the last six years.
After a promising first season under new leadership, USF Baseball enters 2026 with real momentum and a veteran squad that has 28 players who are either juniors or seniors. In year 1, Mitch Hannahs (over 350 wins and five NCAA Tournament appearances at Indiana State) took a struggling Bulls program and immediately lifted it above mediocrity. He guided South Florida to a 31-25 record and the most league wins since 2013-14, and finished well above preseason expectations. Heading into 2026, the Bulls have a roster that embraces a gritty, detail-oriented identity that aligns with Hannahs’ blueprint. They return Matt Rose (.322 AVG, .807 OPS) and some serviceable veterans. Hannahs hammered the portal efficiently and brought in some really good players, including Juan Correa (App State) and Joey Brenczewski (Indiana). One player to keep an eye out for is Jevin Relaford (DII Florida Southern), who led the NCAA in stolen bases (68) last season. On the mound, Hannahs is going to have to press the right buttons, mixing and matching until he finds his weekend rotation and high-leverage bullpen arms after losing the whole weekend rotation from last year's team. The arms this year are talented, but unproven at the Division 1 level. There's no doubt that an at-large birth is the goal for the Bulls, but I'm also not counting out an AAC Championship. They play conference weekend series on the road at ECU, Charlotte, UTSA, and Tulane... an absolute gauntlet of a conference schedule, but great for the RPI.
Preseason rankings don't mean shit, but this is your warning to watch out for Bethune-Cookman this year. After last year’s SWAC title and NCAA trip, highlighted by a tournament championship game walk-off bomb, the Wildcats are back with a roster built for chaos: fast, experienced, and packing violent middle-of-the-order power. Andrey Martinez (.353 AVG, 20 HR) is the obvious star, but the engine's real horsepower comes from table-setters like Sergio Rivera and Darryl Lee, who can steal your lunch money and your wins in the same inning. Jeter Polledo, Erick Almonte, and Jesus Vanegas provide steady thunder, while Jorge Rodriguez adds that extra sledgehammer in the lineup. On the mound, Edwin Sanchez (8-1, 82.2 IP, 3.05 ERA, 101 K) is the bulldog ace that everyone fears, while Pablo Torres, Jean Zambrano, and the wild card Justin Morales give the staff a lethal mix of strikes, velocity, and volatility. If Morales becomes the weapon everyone knows he can be, the Wildcats aren’t just the SWAC favorites—they’re a regional nightmare waiting to happen. This is the kind of team that can beat anyone, anywhere, in a blur of speed, slugging, and anarchy.
Austin Peay baseball isn’t rebuilding, they’re reloading with the volume turned all the way up. Last year, the Govs posted a dominant 45–14 (26–4 ASUN) season. Coach Roland Fanning's bunch loses 40 homers to graduation, but the Governors still look like a dangerous mid-major team powered by a loud, high-energy culture, veteran bats, and strike-throwing arms. Led by Raymond “Switchblade” Velazquez, an alpha presence in the middle of the order, the lineup is deep, athletic, and fearless. Other impact returners, Andres Matias, Kyler Proctor, Cole Johnson, and breakout catcher Keaton Cottam will make life miserable for ASUN pitchers. On the mound, AP could be ready with war paint if Cody Airington returns healthy and Kaleb Applebey transitions smoothly into the rotation while the bullpen stabilizes late. The formula is there: win the ASUN, survive the chaos of May, and finally kick the door down into an NCAA Regional. This isn’t a surprise team, this is a program ready to make the jump from a mid-major menace to a national problem.
Nevada had very interesting offseason as HC Jake McKinley took a job with the Seattle Mariners in December leaving behind a pretty legit roster and handing the reigns off to Jordan Getzelman who will 100% be prepared for this opportunity. Wolfpack return nearly 70% of their offense including 55 HRs. Junhyuk Kwon (.346 1.012 OPS), Sean Yamaguchi (.324 .944), Billy Ham (.340 1.010) and Jayce Dobie (.339 .939) will headline a very potent offense with portal add Sam Kane (Seattle) who hit .291 with 22 HRs in 2 seasons. On the bump, Nevada returns about 50% of innings and all eras are near 5 and north. You can adjust a run or so for the altitude they play at most of the season. Alessandro Castro (72in 5.33) should take the Friday night job and significantly improve on his 15 starts from a year ago. 2-way stud Jayce Dobie (43in 6.07) will probably pitch on Sundays. Logan Saloman (40in 4.46) and Dominic Desch (39in 4.15) should anchor that bullpen unless one of them needs to move into a starting role. All in all, if this pitching staff can take a step forward, this team will win a lot of games behind that potent lineup. Exciting team to watch, and get their first test opening weekend at Ole Miss.
Coming off the greatest season in program history: 49 wins, the nation's best pitching staff, a CAA title sweep, and a NCAA Tournament appearance. Coach Mike Glavine has made Northeastern baseball relevant rather quickly over the last four seasons. The 2026 squad looks nothing like the 2025 team as they lose nearly 90% of their innings pitched and more than half of their at-bats. The early indication is the Huskies have lots of talent coming in, but with zero experience. We were truly impressed that they were able to keep CAA Player of the Year Harrison Feinberg around, knowing this season's team could have a low floor. In this portal era, Feinberg (.367 AVG, 1.170 OPS, 18 HR, 37 SB) could probably have gone to any school of his choosing. The Huskies have some promising offensive pieces, but the pitching staff is a MAJOR question mark. You just have to trust Glavine's track record, and expect him to figure things out.
