West Florida Athletics

Baseball

2026 GSC Baseball Preseason Poll, Players to Watch Announced

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. 

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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