SoCon Announces 2026 Baseball Preseason Honors 
 
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team was voted to finish sixth in the 2026 Southern Conference (SoCon) Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league on Thursday. 
 
The Spartans earned 16 points in the poll for sixth position while, Samford claimed the top spot with four first-place votes and 45 points. In second place, the Mercer Bears clocked in with 44 points and three first-place votes. Defending SoCon Champions ETSU slots in third position with 38 points and one first-place vote. The Citadel and Western Carolina claim the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Below UNCG, VMI and Wofford round out the SoCon in seventh and eighth place, respectively.  

Junior Noah Chapman was voted to the Preseason All-SoCon Second Team ahead of the season. 

UNCG concluded the 2025 season with a 21-33 overall record and a 9-12 SoCon mark. The 2026 roster includes 20 returning players from last year's squad while adding 16 newcomers to the roster. Eleven of which are freshmen this year.  

Noah Chapman 
Preseason All-SoCon Second Team 
Junior | LHP | Summerville, S.C. 

• SoCon Regular Season Champion (2024) 

• All-SoCon Freshman team (2024) 

• No. 2 prospect 2026 Draft Class in the SoCon according to D1Baseball.  

• In 2025, Chapman threw 68.1 innings with a 5.14 ERA in 21 appearances. Fanning 76 batters while allowing 39 earned runs with 16 walks.  

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UNCG Baseball opens the 2026 season with a three-game series against No. 18 Kentucky at UNCG Baseball Stadium in Greensboro from Feb. 13-15. First pitch of opening day is slated for 4:00 p.m. on Friday.  
 
2026 SoCon Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll 
Team (First-Place Votes) Points 
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 Edwaldsen, 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