2026 College Baseball Mid-Major Preview: Southwest 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 Southwest!

Arizona

Grand Canyon University Antelopes – WAC

2025 Overall Record: 31-27

2025 Conference Record: 13-11

The Lopes are coming off a down year at 31-27, their worst finish since 2017 (29-25) as a program known for finishing with 35-plus wins every year.

Gregg Wallis enters his fourth year as head coach, having won two WAC titles in his three seasons at the helm, and looks to get back to the powerhouse we’re used to seeing.

GCU will be missing a good chunk of offensive production in 2026, losing its top two hitters from 2025 in Josh Wakefield, who led the club in batting average, stolen bases, and drove in 21 RBI. Most notably, power-hitting first baseman Zach Yorke, who transferred to LSU and led the Lopes in OPS with a 1.079, 10 doubles, 13 home runs, and 46 RBI.

Eddy Pelc also leaves a big hole in the lineup after leading Grand Canyon in doubles (16), home runs (17), and RBI (58), all while going a perfect 14-for-14 on stolen base attempts. Eli Paton and Michael Diaz will also be replaced after combining for 88 RBI and 20 home runs, both of which started 45-plus games.

On the mound, GCU looks to replace right-handed pitcher Isaac Lyon, who led the team in starts with 15, innings (86), and strikeouts (88) after posting a 4.19 ERA.

They also lose two key bullpen pieces in Quinn Walter, the Lopes’ 2025 closer who tallied 11 saves in 25 appearances with 39 innings pitched to a team-best 3.46 ERA, and Connor Mattison, who made 11 appearances for 33 ⅓ innings in 2025.

Returning four starters from 2025 is a good start for success heading into 2026, as the offense will surely be headlined by junior infielders Cannon Peery and Troy Sanders. Peery made 42 starts in his sophomore campaign, slashing .317/.381/.479 with 16 doubles, driving in 38 RBI. 

Junior catcher Marcus Galvan returns to manage a pitching staff that will bring back a ton of pieces after making 41 starts in 2025. Certainly a defensive-minded catcher, but productive at the plate, leading the team in sac-hits and driving in 11 RBI.

Junior righty Garrett Ahern should headline the pitching staff after making 15 starts for 76 ⅓ innings, racking up 83 punchouts, looking to make a step forward after his 6.72 ERA in 2025. Senior righty Elijah Higginbottom was a key bullpen piece in 2025, leading the team in appearances with 18, throwing with 42 strikeouts over his 50 innings of work to a 4.32 ERA.

Seniors Cam Cunnings and Chance Key both return. Cunnings racked up 18 appearances, mostly in short relief, only going 21 ⅓ innings, while Key made 12 starts and will likely find himself in the rotation again after his 51 innings thrown. A true pitch-to-contact arm, he only struck out 31 batters in his junior campaign.

With some major contributors back, despite big-time losses, it should be teed up for an improvement year. With their third-place finish in 2025, they’ll look to reclaim the throne and find a way into the postseason. 

Texas

University of Texas, San Antonio Road Runners – American

2025 Overall Record: 47-15

2025 Conference record: 24-4

The Roadrunners were one of the best mid-majors in 2025, not only steamrolling their way to an AAC Title, but handling business in the Austin Regional, taking down in-state “big brother” Texas Longhorns on their way to a Super Regional appearance, where UCLA would end their season.

Head Coach Pat Hallmark enters his seventh season as Skipper of UTSA, coming off a career-best 47-win campaign, a team that broke Roadrunners history in runs, RBIs, fielding percentage, hit-by-pitches, and, of course, wins.

This UTSA ballclub has gotten better every year with Hallmark at the helm, now having three consecutive 30-plus win seasons, looking for their fourth in 2026, where they return a boatload of talent looking to break down the door to Omaha.

The Roadrunners do lose four offensive starters, and three big ones in Mason Lytle, Norris McClure, and James Taussig, who all placed in the top four of OPS, all starting 52-plus games.

The trio combined for 26 home runs (38%) and 175 RBI (36%), and 30 stolen bases, as Lytle led the team with 17.

The 2026 Roadrunners also will look to replace two-thirds of their starting rotation that will be missing Braylon Owens and Zach Royse, who threw 90 ⅔ innings and 94 innings, respectively, combining for 183 punchouts.

Offensively, they’ll bring back Co-AAC Newcomer of the Year, senior outfielder Drew Detlefsen, who drove in a team-best 70 runs and 13 bombs in 2025, adding 13 doubles and seven stolen bases.

Jordan Ballin and Andrew Stucky will offer great support for the 2026 offense, combining for 62 RBI and 26 extra-base hits. Sophomore utility-man Caden Miller will round out the offense after putting together a respectable true-freshman campaign, posting a .940 OPS with 13 doubles, eight home runs, 41 RBI earning an AAC All-Freshman Team spot.

Despite losing most of the starting pitching, the Roadrunners bring back a loaded pitching staff that carried them through the postseason, most notably closer Robert Orloski, who notched nine saves over 27 appearances and 72 ⅓ innings and 77 strikeouts to the tune of a 3.36 ERA, flashing nasty stuff every time he touched the mound.

Grad-senior southpaw Conor Myles returns in the rotation, making 17 starts in 2025, accounting for 74 innings, posting a 4.87 ERA. Team leader in ERA (2.73), Connor Kelly returns after a great season where he struck out 49 in 36 ⅓ innings of work.

They’ll also bring back three more arms who made 10 or more appearances in Christian Okerholm, James Hubbard, and Gunnar Brown, who combined for 87 ⅓ innings.

With a lot of returning pieces on both sides of the ball, don’t be surprised to see another postseason run for the Roadrunners, who will look to build on the program’s best year.

Dallas Baptist Patriots – Conference USA

2025 Overall Record: 41-18

2025 Conference Record: 21-6

Despite losing the CUSA Tournament, DBU claimed another CUSA regular season title under Dan Heefner, who enters his 19th season as Head Coach of DBU.

A program that is seventh in wins-per-season in the country since 2015 (42.5), as one of the top Skippers in the country. He’s also led the Patriots to the postseason 14 times, 13 of which came over the last 14 years, a true powerhouse of mid-major baseball.

With big losses from the 2025 season, which includes six offensive starters who contributed 45% of the team’s RBI and 49% of the home runs. Losing notable players in catcher Grant Jay and outfielder Nathan Humphries, who led the team in home runs and RBI, and stolen bases.

On the pitching side, the Patriots will look to replace two-thirds of a very good rotation in Micah Bucknam and James Ellwanger, who combined for 27 starts. Bucknam posted a 4.62 ERA over 62 ⅓ innings while Ellwanger, the team’s ace, posted a 3.98 ERA over 63 ⅓ innings, tallying a team best 95 strikeouts. 

Some big bullpen losses as well in closer Mason Peters, who made 20 appearances for 42 ⅓ innings and 58 punchouts. As well as Tyler Schott, who held hitters to a .203 average over 17 innings and 19 appearances to the tune of a 2.65 ERA.

Offensively, the Patriots retain an early front-runner for CUSA Player of the Year in fifth-year infielder Chayton Krauss. Krauss finished his season, starting 58 games with a 1.014 OPS with a team-best 19 doubles, adding 15 dingers and 71 RBI to the mix, a true centerpiece to build around.

Redshirt senior infielder Grady Keaton also returns after leading the Patriots with a .366 average in 2025, going 18-21 on stolen bases with 13 doubles, four triples, and three home runs. Expect him to be the table setter at the top of the order yet again in 2026.

On the pitching side, senior righty Ryan Borberg returns and should take the ball on Friday nights after leading the team with 15 starts and 80 innings with 79 strikepits, holding hitters to a .244 average. An arm to watch to take another jump after truly dominating through 2025.

Key bullpen piece in Luke Pettitte returns after making six appearances for 11 innings, but not allowing a single run in that stretch, surrendering three hits and locking down two saves. Senior Righty Jerrod Jenkins also makes his return after throwing 51 ⅔ innings over 22 appearances and a 4.88 ERA.

While there are many pieces of the puzzle out from 2025, there are very few programs and coaches you can count on to be successful, like Dan Heefner, and I’m putting stock in his ball club again in 2026. As one of the top offensive minds in the country, his club should mash again, coining the nickname “Dallas Bombers University” and for good reason.