Samford Picked to Win 2026 SoCon Baseball Title

SPARTANBURG, SC – Samford has been picked as the favorite to win the 2026 regular season title in the preseason Southern Conference baseball poll. Ballots were submitted by the league’s eight head coaches.

The top of the poll was tight, with Samford garnering four first-place votes and 45 total points to edge Mercer (44 points) and ETSU (38 points). The Bears picked up three first-place votes and ETSU appeared first on one ballot.

The coaches also selected the Preseason All-Conference Team and both a Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year. Samford and Mercer each had seven choices overall to pace the All-Conference team, with the Bulldogs leading the way with six men on the first team.

VMI first baseman Grayson Fitzwater (Suffolk, VA / Nansemond River HS) was named Player of the Year and Samford righty Mason Blasche(Hoover, AL / Hoover HS) earned Pitcher of the Year honors. Both were also named first-team All-SoCon.

Fitzwater is the top returning slugger in the SoCon after batting .315 last season with 17 home runs and 65 RBI. The senior posted a 1.065 OPS, scored 53 runs, legged out 13 doubles and stole 11 bases in 13 attempts. He was a first-team All-SoCon selection in 2025.

Blasche led the SoCon in wins last season, going 10-0 with a sparkling 3.24 ERA in 16 appearances (11 starts) for the Bulldogs. A second-team All-SoCon choice in 2025, Blasche fanned 56 batters and walked 13 in 72.1 innings of work. He also had one save. Blasche was 5-0 in SoCon contests.

Nine players who earned All-SoCon honors last season appeared on the 2026 preseason All-SoCon team. In addition to Fitzwater and Blasche, ETSU relief pitcher Derek McCarley and outfielder Jamie Palmese, Samford catcher Cade Carr, second baseman Jeffrey Ince, and third baseman Parker McDonald, The Citadel outfielder TJ Anderson, and VMI outfielder Owen Prince built on their 2025 success with preseason accolades.

All eight teams had at least one player on the preseason All-SoCon team.

The 2026 regular season gets underway on Friday, February 13, with a full slate of action across the Southern Conference. All eight teams begin their season at home that day.

2026 SoCon Opening Day Schedule | Friday, February 13 (All Times Eastern)

ETSU vs. Marist (Johnson City, TN) – 3:00 pm

VMI vs. Delaware State (Lexington, VA) – 3:00 pm

Western Carolina vs. George Washington (Cullowhee, NC) – 4:00 pm

UNC Greensboro vs. Kentucky (Greensboro, NC) – 4:00 pm

The Citadel vs. Liberty (Charleston, SC) – 4:00 pm

Samford vs. Belmont (Homewood, AL) – 5:00 pm

Wofford vs. Mercyhurst (Spartanburg, SC) – 5:30 pm

Mercer vs. Troy (Macon, GA) – 6:00 pm

Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses) 

1.     Samford (4) – 45

2.     Mercer (3) - 44

3.     ETSU (1) – 38

4.     The Citadel – 30

5.     Western Carolina – 24

6.     UNC Greensboro - 16

7.     VMI - 14

8.     Wofford - 13

Preseason Player of the Year: Grayson Fitzwater, 1B, VMI (Sr., Suffolk, VA / Nansemond River HS)

Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Mason Blasche, RHP, Samford (So., Hoover, AL / Hoover HS)

Preseason All-SoCon First Team

SP – Mason Blasche, Samford

SP – Michael Harpster, ETSU

SP – Garrett Lambert, Mercer

SP – Davis Wright, Western Carolina

RP – Derek McCarley, ETSU

RP – Champ Davis, Wofford

RP – Collin Ewaldsen, Mercer

C – Cade Carr, Samford

1B – Grayson Fitzwater, VMI

2B – Jeffrey Ince, Samford

SS – Trent Turner, Western Carolina

3B – Parker McDonald, Samford

OF – Jake Souders, Samford

OF – Bradley Garner, VMI

OF – Jamie Palmese, ETSU

DH – Trey Spees, Western Carolina

Preseason All-SoCon Second Team

SP – Will Holmes, The Citadel

SP – Noah Chapman, UNCG

SP – Andrew Stanley, The Citadel

SP – Jess Ackerman, Mercer

RP – Braydon Kersey, Mercer

RP – Owen Austin, Western Carolina

RP – Ryan White, Western Carolina

C – Phillips Daniels, The Citadel

1B – James Layman, Wofford

1B – Tristan Curless, ETSU

2B – Tanner Hardin, Wofford

SS – Titan Kamaka, Mercer

3B – Brant Baughcum, Mercer

OF – Owen Prince, VMI

OF – Axel Melendez, ETSU

OF – TJ Anderson, The Citadel

DH – Trey Higgins, Samford