BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Following a NCAA Super Region appearance last season, West Florida was tabbed as the favorite in the Gulf South Conference baseball preseason poll, as determined by the league's 12 head coaches prior to the 2026 season.
Coaches also selected up to three student-athletes from their respective squads to comprise the Returning Players and Newcomers to Watch Lists, highlighting a total of 72 totals names.
The Argonauts garnered eight first-place votes topping the poll with 117 total points. Defending regular season champion Delta State (102 points) was picked second, while in-state Mississippi College (100 points) rounded out the top three. The next five teams in order were Valdosta State, Lee, West Alabama, Montevallo, and Trevecca Nazarene. Coaches voted in rank order with points awarded on a 11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale and were unable to vote for themselves.
The GSC Returning Players to Watch featured 36 names, including five players who garnered All-GSC honors last—Lee's JJ Williams and Isaiah French, Montevallo's McGwire Turner and Evan Radford, and West Florida's Alex Urias. The GSC Newcomers to Watch meanwhile was also comprised of 36 student-athletes, click here to see the full list.
2026 SCHEDULE | SUBSCRIBE TO FLOCOLLEGE
GSC NEWCOMERS TO WATCH
Watch every home game or GSC contest for your team all-season long on FloCollege or through the FloSports app. Fans who subscribe with an .edu email from a GSC member school can save on monthly or annual subscription rate. Subscriptions can be cancelled at anytime. Click here for more information about FloCollege.
The 2026 season begins Jan. 30, with the first conference series slated for the weekend of Feb. 13-14. The GSC Baseball Championship will return to Choccolocco Park and is set for May 1-5.
2026 GSC Baseball Preseason Poll
1. West Florida (8) - 117 pts
2. Delta State (2) - 102 pts
3. Mississippi College (1) - 100 pts
4. Valdosta State (1) - 87 pts
5. Lee - 79 pts
6. West Alabama - 77 pts
7. Montevallo - 73 pts
8. Trevecca Nazarene - 49 pts
9. AUM - 34 pts
10. UAH - 32 pts
11. Union - 30 pts
12. Christian Brothers - 12 pts
First-place votes in parentheses
GSC Returning Players to Watch List
| Name |
School |
Pos |
Year |
Hometown |
| Caleb Mahan |
UAH |
INF |
Sr. |
Florence, Ala. |
| Hugh Windle |
UAH |
INF |
Jr. |
Rainbow City, Ala. |
| Sean Lapinskes |
UAH |
INF |
So. |
Madison, Ala. |
| Jackson Reed |
AUM |
RHP |
Sr. |
Prattville, Ala. |
| Charlie Bagwell |
AUM |
RHP |
Sr. |
Marietta, Ga. |
| Kyle Hipp |
AUM |
INF |
Sr. |
Mobile, Ala. |
| Jackson Licata |
Christian Brothers |
SS |
Sr. |
Orange, Calif. |
| Charlie Faoro |
Christian Brothers |
RHP/INF |
Sr. |
Flossmoor, Ill. |
| Nick Petruzzello |
Christian Brothers |
OF |
So. |
Ranson, W.Va. |
| Aiden McCrady |
Delta State |
RHP |
So. |
Memphis, Tenn. |
| Jacob Hill |
Delta State |
INF |
Sr. |
Byhalia, Miss. |
| Bo Rock |
Delta State |
INF |
Sr. |
Amory, Miss. |
| JJ Williams * |
Lee |
OF |
Gr. |
Franklin, Tenn. |
| Isaiah French * |
Lee |
C |
Jr. |
Maryville, Tenn. |
| Luke Collier |
Lee |
INF |
R-Jr. |
Asheville, N.C. |
| Caleb Peterson |
Mississippi College |
RHP |
Sr. |
Murfreesboro, Tenn. |
| Coby Gollott |
Mississippi College |
RHP |
Sr. |
Ocean Spring, Miss. |
| Dylan Cope |
Mississippi College |
RHP |
Sr. |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
| McGwire Turner * |
Montevallo |
3B |
Jr. |
Helena, Ala. |
| Evan Radford * |
Montevallo |
UTL |
Sr. |
Hoover, Ala. |
| Matthew Bullard |
Montevallo |
LHP |
Sr. |
Calera, Ala. |
| Cade Moore |
Trevecca |
OF/INF |
Sr. |
Terre Haute, Ind. |
| Spener Wilkins |
Trevecca |
RHP |
Sr. |
Monticello, Ga. |
| Jonah Smithson |
Trevecca |
RHP |
R-Sr. |
Gallatin, Tenn. |
| Grant Ross |
Union |
1B |
Sr. |
Collierville, Tenn. |
| Caleb Davis |
Union |
2B/SS |
Sr. |
Loretto, Tenn. |
| Carter Daniel |
Union |
RHP |
So. |
Killen, Ala. |
| Easton Hood |
Valdosta State |
OF |
Sr. |
Tupelo, Miss. |
| Drake LaRoche |
Valdosta State |
RHP |
Sr. |
Fort Scott, Kan. |
| Marcos Sevillano |
Valdosta State |
OF |
Sr. |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
| Baker Green |
West Alabama |
RHP |
Sr. |
Trussville, Ala. |
| Nick Wilson |
West Alabama |
3B |
Sr. |
Pell City, Ala. |
| Kyle Blevins Jr. |
West Alabama |
SS |
Jr. |
Brewton, Ala. |
| Alex Urias *^ |
West Florida |
OF |
R-So. |
Cumming, Ga. |
| Zack Stokes |
West Florida |
INF |
R-Sr. |
Naperville, Ill. |
| Colton Dorsey |
West Florida |
RHP |
Sr. |
Panama City, Fla. |
*
2025 All-GSC Second Team
^ 2025 GSC Freshman of the Year