2026 College Baseball Mid-Major Preview: Southeast Region

College baseball’s national spotlight often gravitates toward the power conferences. Still, year after year, it’s the mid-major programs that quietly build winners, develop draft talent, and shake up the postseason. Just last year, we saw the Murray State Racers become America’s Team on their insane run to Omaha.

These teams don’t always get the attention they deserve. Yet, they consistently produce 40-win seasons, host regionals, send players to the big leagues, and knock off nationally ranked opponents when it matters most.

As the 2026 college baseball season approaches, we wanted to make sure those programs, and the coaches and players behind them, get highlighted.

This five-part series is designed to highlight the mid-major teams you need to be watching in 2026, broken down by region. From the West Coast to the Northeast, we’re focusing on programs with momentum, returning talent, strong player development pipelines, and real postseason upside. 

Mid-Majors to Watch Series (2026):

• Mid-Majors to Watch: West
• Mid-Majors to Watch: Southwest
• Mid-Majors to Watch: Midwest
• Mid-Majors to Watch: Northeast
• Mid-Majors to Watch: Southeast

Let’s dive into the Southeast! 

Florida

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats – SWAC 

2025 Overall Record: 37-23

2025 Conference Record: 24-5

Bethune-Cookman was the SWAC’s lone representative in the NCAA postseason after steamrolling the conference and sweeping the tournament. Their season would end in two-and-barbeque in Tallahassee, suffering losses to the Noles and Northeastern, but not without being a thorn in the side.

They’ll return the bruisers of the offense, Andrey Martinez and Jorge Rodriguez. Martinez put together a monster year, being the centerpiece of the offense, slashing .353/.424/.725 with 14 doubles, 20 home runs, and 64 RBI.

But don’t sleep on Rodriguez, after posting a 1.148 OPS with 14 doubles, 14 home runs, and 46 RBI, the meat of this lineup is going to be lethal.

Everyday shortstop Jeter Polledo is also back after a very productive season at the dish that featured 23 extra-base hits and a .940 OPS paired with senior outfielder Daryl Lee after going 23-29 on stolen bases last year and should be the everyday leadoff man in 2026, especially after finding his way on-base at a .427 clip. 

The Wildcats will also return senior workhorse lefty Edwin Sanchez who led the way with 82.2 innings over 17 starts posting 101 strikeouts and a 3.05 ERA, allowing just two runs over seven innings of work against Northeastern in their regional loss. Saturday starter Tanner Boccabello is also back after putting together a 7-1 record in 11 starts. 

The recipe for success in this sport is talent retention, and that’s exactly what Bethune Cookman did in 2025. I anticipate them rolling SWAC play yet again, and will be a team to watch to notch a regional win if they get a favorable draw. (Will Mossa)

Florida Atlantic Owls – American Athletic

2025 Overall Record: 37-21

2025 Conference Record: 15-12

The Florida Atlantic Owls are coming off a 37-21 campaign in 2025, where they saw their season end at the hands of a super regional team in UTSA in the AAC tournament. With some large holes in the roster and big shoes to fill, the Owls were picked to finish 6th in the preseason AAC poll.

First, we have to address the elephant in the room, losing arguably the best pitcher in the conference in Trey Beard, who posted 118 punchouts in 86 innings to the tune of a 3.14 ERA, holding hitters to a sub-200 batting average. Along with Beard, the Owls lose their anchor in the bullpen, MJ Bollinger to Texas A&M, who racked up 11 saves last season with a 2.01 ERA over 28 appearances. 

Luckily for the Owls, they retain a chunk of their top offensive talent with Grad Senior infielder Brando Leroux and Senior outfielder Marshall Lipsey both returning, who led the Owls in batting average, stolen bases, and on-base percentage, while combining for 17 home runs and 75 RBI. 

The biggest question marks for FAU this season will come on the mound, as sophomore RHP James Litman will have to step up in a major way after making 15 starts as a true freshman, throwing 60.2 innings, and should be in line to get the ball on Friday nights this season. (Will Mossa)

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles – Atlantic Sun

2025 Overall Record: 31-29

2025 Conference Record: 16-14

The Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast are coming off a tragic end to their season, thanks to a questionable decision from the selection committee. Despite technically winning the ASUN tournament, bouncing Stetson in the Championship game, they were not let into a regional due to the game ending in six innings, thanks to adverse weather.

While Florida Gulf Coast is not a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination, they do hold the Shohei Ohtani of college baseball in two-way player Evan Dempsey.

Dempsey posted a 1.97 ERA over 68.2 innings with 75 strikeouts, while also slashing .309/.393/.435 in 2025. Nobody in college baseball is doing what he is doing, and he is an early frontrunner in the All-American conversation for two-way players.

FGCU will return three other starters on offense, including sophomore backstop Jon Embury, who finished second on the team in slugging as a true freshman and will be a sneaky-fun player to watch over the course of the season as he continues to develop.

While the postseason may not be on the horizon for the Eagles, they do return their one-two punch on the bump with Chris Diaz and Evan Dempsey, as well as four offensive starters, a pretty good recipe to build off of a winning season. (Will Mossa)

Stetson Hatters – Atlantic Sun

2025 Overall Record: 41-22

2025 Conference Record: 24-6

The Stetson “Mad” Hatters are coming off a fantastic 2025 season, which came to a close in the Auburn regional despite not walking away with an ASUN Conference Title. One of the most fun offenses of mid-majors in 2025, and a walking win on the mound in Jonathan Gonzalez, who posted a 10-2 record, 1.83 ERA, and 105 strikeouts in his 93 innings of work, massive shoes to fill. They also lose their closer in Ty Van Dyke, who posted a 0.97 WHIP with nine saves and 75 punchouts in 41.1 innings. 

The plus side is that the Hatters return two-thirds of their rotation, as James Hays and Ethan Phillips, who combined for 101 innings in 2025, but will need to take a big jump forward to hold this team afloat through the season. 

Similar to the mound, the Hatters lose a ton on offense, only returning two starters in Foster Apple and Juan De La Cruz, who combined for 74 RBI a season ago.

However, this is a team that has strung together two consecutive 40-win seasons with regional appearances, and three consecutive 35+ win seasons; you have to have confidence in what Head Coach Steve Temper is building. (Will Mossa)

Kentucky

Murray State Racers – Missouri Valley

2025 Overall Record: 44-17

2025 Conference Record: 17-8

Reminiscing on College Baseball’s darling in the Murray State Racers, who made a Cinderella Omaha run where they would see their magical season end at the hands of a Gage Wood no-hitter against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

If we learned anything in 2025, it’s that Head Coach Dan Skirka is building something special and the Racers will continue to improve year over year.

Senior right-handed pitcher and Racers innings-leader Nic Schutte returns after logging 96 innings for the Racers in 2025, where he tallied 97 strikeouts and a 5.16 ERA in his 16 starts. I expect him to do the same in 2026. They also retain their two main bullpen arms in Kane Elmy and Graham Kellem, who combined for 102.2 innings while Kellem led the Racers with nine saves.

On offense, the senior-laden team that was the 2025 Racers will return three starters, led by senior infielder Luke Mistone, who slashed .335/.399/.476 with 24 extra-base hits and 53 RBI. There will be plenty of new faces for this squad in 2026, and while another Omaha appearance is highly unlikely, it’s hard not to like the Racers to find a way back into a regional. (Will Mossa)

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers – C-USA

2025 Overall Record: 46-14

2025 Conference Record: 18-9

We all know the Hilltoppers for having the best mascot in college sports, but they also finished fourth in the country in team ERA with a 3.50, and were a huge reason for their regional appearance and 46-win season a year ago.

To put it nicely, the portal was not friendly to WKU, as their entire roster was picked apart, including losing two of the best arms in the country in Jack Bennett and Drew Whalen, who combined for 30 starts, a 16-4 record, 144 innings, and 139 punchouts. The Toppers will also look to replace closer Cal Higgins, who posted a 1.87 ERA with six saves and 52 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.

Offensively, WKU will look to replace one of college baseball’s most complete players in Ryan Wideman who posted video game numbers in 2025, slashing .398/.466/.652 with 20 doubles, six triples, 14 home runs, 68 RBI, all while going 45-47 on stolen base attempts. Truly a complete player and will create a large hole in this lineup.

Western Kentucky returns three offensive starters, including senior catcher Camden Ross who posted a .853 OPS while being the anchor behind the dish for the Toppers. Grad senior Austin Haller returns after finishing third on the team in on-base percentage (.457), and sophomore infielder Reid Howard, who looks to take a big developmental jump after his true freshman year, starting 49 games.

It’s tough to see such a fun mid-major program lose so much talent in one offseason, and certainly will be tough to recreate a 40-win season in 2026, but the development of this program has been incredibly special and while I see this as a downyear, don’t be surprised when they’re right back in the mix in 2027. (Will Mossa)

Tulane Green Wave – American

2025 Overall Record: 33-25

2025 Conference Record: 13-14

Tulane baseball has a history of winning. Throughout their history, they have 17 conference championships, 23 NCAA Regional appearances, 2 NCAA Super Regional appearances, and 2 College World Series appearances. 

The Green Wave reigned in college baseball in the late 90s and early 2000s, but then struggled to get back to the top. That was until Head Coach Jay Uhlman came in. 

Coach Uhlman took over as head coach in 2022, and since then, the Green Wave have returned to two NCAA Regionals and won two American Athletic Conference tournament championships (2023, 2024). 

In 2025, Tulane continued its winning ways, posting a 33-25 overall record and finishing as the runner-up in the American Athletic Conference tournament. It’s a far cry from their early-200s runs, but man, are they trending up. 

Tulane looks ready to build on the 2025 season and improve thanks to its 16th-ranked transfer portal class, according to 64Analytics. That portal class is huge as they’ll have to replace some big names like SS Connor Rasmussen and two-way star Michael Lombardi, both who they lost to the MLB Draft.

On the offensive side, Tulane does return some excellent bats, including outfielder Jason Wachs, who slashed .335/.457/.479 with a .937 OPS. He’s a legit top-of-the-order type bat. They also bring back Senior infielder Kaikea Harrison, who should play a significant role for them. 

The portal is where things get interesting for the Green Wave on the offensive side. As we mentioned, they lost quite a few bats, but they brought in the likes of Tye Wood from New Mexico, Trent Liolios from Northwestern, Brett Rowell from West Florida. 

Wood is another top-of-the-order type bat who slashed .321/.469/.495 with a .964 OPS in his last two seasons with the Lobos. Liolios is a first-base type profile who should provide them some real pop as he hit 10 doubles and 16 home runs last year for Northwestern. 

Rowell out of West Florida is exciting, as he posted an OPS over 1.000 while mashing 14 doubles, eight home runs, and 52 RBIs. Clemson transfer Nolan Nawrocki is another guy to watch. 

He should get significant playing time and could explode as a regular on the field. It feels like Tulane should have no problem replacing the firepower that they lost. 

On the mound, they return a few arms who are of interest. Specifically, RHP Trey Cehajic, RHP Blaise Wilcenski, and RHP Will Clements. All logged significant innings for the Green Wave.

Cehajic is the most intriguing returner. He was a mainstay in the rotation for Tulane and the 6’8, 243lb righty comes back as a grad student. He posted a 4.89 ERA last year while striking out 57 batters in 57 IP.

Tulane will look to build on that base with the transfer portal arms. They brought in Liberty’s Jack Frankel, Long Beach State’s Owen Geiss, Tennessee Tech’s Jack Brafa, Wagner’s Jake Toporek, and Denison’s Sam Larson. 

Frankel was the highest-ranked portal arm, and he posted a 3.40 ERA while striking out 32 batters in 45 innings pitched for Liberty. Owen Geiss was also a top 100 transfer grab, and he also has the potential to crack the rotation.

Brafa, out of Tennessee Tech, had a strong freshman year where he posted a 3.48 ERA, but struggled in his sophomore year. He could be poised for a big bounce-back with Tulane. 

All and all, things are trending upwards for Tulane and it’ll be fun to see what Coach Uhlman can do with this squad in 2026. (Jared Perkins)

North Carolina

Charlotte 49ers – American Athletic

2025 Overall Record: 36-22

2025 Conference Record: 18-9

The 49ers of Charlotte were just picked to finish 3rd in the AAC after coming off a successful season in 2025 but saw it end in the AAC tournament. Historically, a powerhouse on offense, but have always struggled to get over the hump with an extremely competitive conference where they may only get one or two bids into postseason play.

The 49ers will have some work to do losing ace pitcher Blake Gillespie to the MLB Draft after leading the team in innings, strikeouts, ERA, and any other statistical category you can think of, all-in-all, their workhorse.

Expect senior pitcher Andrew Kibbs to take a big leap this year after being the Saturday guy in 2025, making 15 starts, racking up 61 strikeouts in 65 innings with a 4.15 ERA. He’ll have a heavy load to bear, but will need to take that next step for Charlotte to have a shot this year. 

Joseph Taylor is also back anchoring the bullpen after leading the team in saves last year with seven, with big strikeout stuff as he tallied 75 in 57.2 innings of work. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him jump into a starter’s role either.

Of course, we can’t not talk about the AAC Preseason Player of the Year, Dawson Bryce, who paved the way for the 49ers in 2025, slashing .340/.389/.600 with a team-leading 80 hits, 14 home runs, and 53 RBI.

On top of Bryce, they will bring back their next three best hitters from their 2025 lineup in Spencer Nolan, Cody Gunderson, and Carson Bayne. A pretty good recipe for success, bringing back your top four hitters from a year ago.

Don’t be surprised to see Charlotte nab a bid from the AAC this season which will be absolutely loaded at the top (Will Mossa)

East Carolina Pirates – American Athletic

2025 Overall Record: 35-27

2025 Conference Record: 13-14

The Jungle. One of the most electric environments in college baseball, one of the most beloved mid-majors in the sport, rich with a winning history thanks to Cliff Godwin at the helm.

Despite coming off of what is a down year for the Pirates, they made a regional thanks to a tournament run where they would stymie Tulane from three-peating the AAC conference tournament championship, ultimately seeing their season end in the Conway Regional.

Don’t let the 13-14 AAC record fool you, the down year was large in part to losing one of the best rotations in baseball in Trey Yesavage and Zach Root after the 2024 season, but Cliff Godwin knows winning as much as anyone in the country.

A large reason why they were picked to win the AAC in 2026, even over UTSA, which appeared in a super regional in 2025.

AAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year Ethan Norby will headline the conference on Friday nights after making 14 starts a year ago, putting together a great season where he punched out 119 over 90 innings to the tune of a 3.80 ERA.

To much surprise, Norby elected to stay in Greenville for another ride with the Pirates and is expected to take another big step.

The Pirates also return key pieces of the staff in Sean Jenkins, who made 12 starts last year, throwing 70.1 innings and Nick Moran, who made 17 appearances in 2025, holding opposing hitters to a .220 average. 

The offense is where ECU will thrive this year, returning seven of 10 qualified hitters in the lineup, where they already averaged over six runs per game.

Headlined by Braden Burress, who led the team in OPS with a .986, and Austin Irb,y who finished second in RBI, OPS, and home runs for the Pirates in 2025.

With an upper-classmen and experienced team with plenty of returners on offense, and Ethan Norby, who could be a walking-win on Friday nights, it’s easy to see why they were picked first, and should see Cliff Godwin and Co. in another regional in 2026. (Will Mossa)

Tennessee

Austin Peay Governors – Atlantic Sun

2025 Overall Record: 45-14

2025 Conference Record: 26-4

The Govs! What a season they had in 2025. The winning ways continue for Head Coach Roland Fanning. The former Oklahoma assistant and Kentucky recruiting coordinator has worked wonders with this Austin Peay program.

Last year, they finished an incredible 45-14 overall and 26-4 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. It was Coach Fanning’s second season in a row finishing 1st in the regular season conference standings. 

Even though they won 40+ games last year, Austin Peay fell short of the NCAA Tournament, finishing second in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. They’ll look to finally take that next step in 2026. 

What’s big for Austin Peay is the fact that they return FIVE everyday starters to their lineup in 2026. That’s led by redshirt junior infielder Ray Velazquez who put up some video game numbers last year. He posted a 1.207 OPS while hitting nine doubles, 18 home runs, and 57 RBI. 

They also bring back ASUN Freshman of the Year, first baseman Cole Johnson. He slashed .347/.429/.563 with 22 doubles, eight home runs, and 68 RBI. Kyler Proctor, Andres Matias, and Trevor Conely all also return. 

Their offense will be potent, and they also brought in some interesting transfers, like Ty Wisdom out of Kansas, who could play a huge role for this team. 

The pitching side is where Austin Peay will have to do some serious replacements. They lose Lyndon Glidewell, Jacob Weaver, and Gavin Braunecker. All had experience starting, and all threw 70+ innings last year for the Govs.

They do bring back right-hander Cody Airington, who posted a 3.54 ERA last year while striking out 38 batters in 40.2 innings. He started eight games for the Govs. Kaleb Applebey should also compete for a lot of innings for this team as well. 

The Govs really cleaned up in the transfer portal on the mound. They obviously identified a need and went after it. Gavin Alveti out of Central Arkansas, Ryker Walton out of Eastern Kentucky, Drew DeLucia out of Franklin Pierce, and Elijah Underhill out of Eastern Kentucky are all names to watch. 

The offense will be there for the Govs and the only question will be whether they can figure it out on the mound or not after losing so many key arms. Signs are trending in the right direction, and I believe you’ll likely see the Govs at the top of the Atlantic Sun in 2026. (Jared Perkins)

Virginia

Liberty Flames – C-USA

2025 Overall Record: 30-27

2025 Conference Record: 10-17

A 10-17 conference record doesn’t always get you a write-up, but the Liberty Flames have such a history of winning. This is a team that has eight NCAA tournament appearances. They won 41 games in 2021 and 37 in 2022. 

Bradley LeCroy enters his second season coaching the Flames after producing a 30-win season in his first year as head coach. He seems to have this squad trending back in the right direction. 

On the offensive side, the big returner for the Flames is junior shortstop Tanner Marsh. He slashed .294/.378/.377 with a .755 OPS with 11 doubles, 22 RBI, and 18 SB. They also bring back their outfielder masher in Nick Barone, who hit 12 doubles, 10 home runs, and 52 RBI. 

Liberty looked to supplement some of its offensive losses with a powerful transfer portal class. Their class ranked 22nd overall according to 64Analytics. 

They brought in Jordan Jaffe from Richmond, Ryan Drumm from Butler, and Kyle Hvidsten from Western Kentucky. 

Hvidsten is a solid backstop who slashed .282/.497/.524 with five doubles, six home runs, and 22 RBI for the Hilltoppers. 

Jaffe is a big-time bopper who’s hit 32 home runs for the Spiders in three years. He slashed a solid .314/.391/.598 last year.

Liberty’s pitching depth is shaping up to be a major separator heading into 2026, especially with so much of its 2025 production returning. The Flames leaned heavily on their arms last season, and that strength looks even more stable now with a frontline starter firmly in place. 

Ben Blair anchors the staff as a true Friday option and gives Liberty a legitimate ace profile: power fastball, swing-and-miss secondary stuff, and the confidence of a pitcher who chose continuity over transfer opportunities. 

With his ability to miss bats, manage contact, and pitch deep into games, Blair sets the tone for a staff that should again rank among the best in Conference USA while also drawing serious draft attention next summer.

Behind him, Liberty has no shortage of options to build out a weekend rotation and bullpen, which may ultimately be the biggest advantage on the roster. 

Josh Swink’s strong summer and improved command point to a possible breakout if he’s stretched back into a starting role, while Cooper Harrington, Jake Potts, Jaxon Lucas, and Bradley Zayac all bring starter-caliber velocity and multiple usable pitches. 

Even if some of those arms slide into relief, the bullpen projects as deep, versatile, and power-heavy, especially with Tyler August’s elite arm strength and ability to handle high-leverage innings on short rest. 

Add in experienced returners and a handful of intriguing transfers and freshmen, and Liberty looks positioned not just to match last year’s pitching success, but potentially exceed it with more options, more depth, and more matchup flexibility than most teams in the league.