ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Emory & Henry University Baseball Team has been picked to finish 12th in the South Atlantic Conference this year by the league's head coaches. The poll was released by the SAC office on Monday.
RELATED – SAC Preseason Poll & Preseason All-Conference Team
Last year, Emory & Henry posted an 17-33 overall record with an 8-22 record in South Atlantic Conference play. The 17 wins tied the program record for victories in a single season. The season included a SAC series victory over Mars Hill University, and wins against No. 13 Lenoir-Rhyne and perennial SAC powers Newberry and Wingate. E&H welcomes a roster of new faces that will look to continue to push the Wasps forward.
Catawba College, the two-time defending SAC Regular Season and Tournament Champion is first in the poll with seven of 12 first-place votes. Lenoir-Rhyne University sits in second with four first-place nods, while Carson-Newman University is in third. Wingate University is fourth and Coker University rounds out the top five.
Lincoln Memorial University has been selected to finish sixth with the final first-place vote while Newberry College is seventh and UVA Wise sits in eighth. Anderson (S.C.) University, Tusculum University and Mars Hill are ninth, 10th and 11th respectively. Emory & Henry rounds out the voting in 12th.
In addition, the SAC has announced its Preseason All-Conference Team and Players to Watch. Jacob Nester, Jaret Hoppes, Kyle Fields, Drew Lanzo, Rhett Barker and Ky Gregoire have all been named as Wasps to keep an eye on during the upcoming season.
Emory & Henry is scheduled to open the season on Friday, February 6 when they make the trip to the Palmetto State for a three-game weekend series against the Pacers of the University of South Carolina at Aiken.
--E&H--
2026 SAC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank School (First Place Votes) Points
1 Catawba (7) 126
2 Lenoir-Rhyne (4) 122
3 Carson-Newman 112
4 Wingate 102
5 Coker 87
6 Lincoln Memorial (1) 78
7 Newberry 71
8 UVA Wise 70
9 Anderson 56
10 Tusculum 45
11 Mars Hill 28
12 Emory & Henry 27
2026 SAC Baseball Preseason All-Conference
Outfield
OF – Mackenzie Wainwright, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Braeden Harrison, Anderson
OF – Sam Hunter, Catawba
Infield
1B – Logan Floyd, Carson-Newman
2B – Cole Nathan, Carson-Newman
SS – Nathan Chrismon, Catawba
3B – Terick Bumgarner, Mars Hill
Catcher / DH
C – Nathan Kidder, Lenoir-Rhyne
DH – Sean Shelly, Catawba
Pitchers
SP – Kolton Casson, Carson-Newman
SP – Kemper Nix, Catawba
SP – Kellen Gradisar, Lenoir-Rhyne
RP – Ryan Whitson, UVA Wise
Players to Watch
Anderson: Mac Ketchin, Zach Stover, Walker Noland, Dom Bello, Levi Medford
Carson-Newman: Johno Pierce, Bradley Soto Diaz, Jackson Underwood
Catawba: Matthew Connolly, Casey Gouge
Coker: Casey Cleghorn, Rocco Wojcik, Peter Adams, Gavin Johnson, Owen Brockner, Patrick Larson
Emory & Henry: Jacob Nester, Jaret Hoppes, Kyle Fields, Drew Lanzo, Rhett Barker, Ky Gregoire
Lenoir-Rhyne: Seth Christmas, Mike Joyce, Matt Procopio
Lincoln Memorial: Brooks Hagedorn, Easton Barnett, Alex Kowalski, Brady Morse, Eli Edds, Caleb Jordan
Mars Hill: Peyton Starkey, Chapel Matson, Austin Kutz, Mel Rubiera
Newberry: Jacob Clark, Keilor Osbon, Andrew Peck, Bryson Nuckols
Tusculum: Ryan Ortega, Mason Johnson, Evan Cage, Owen Canter, Brice Anders, Walker Pedante
UVA Wise: Jacob Boyle, Houston Sarvis, Joshua Morgan
Wingate: Chad Harvey, Jake Courville, Gavin Groppuso, Jalen Evans, Will Farrell, Cam Harris