ATLANTA, Ga. (February 6, 2025) - With the 2025 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) baseball season on the horizon, Belhaven University baseball team has been selected as the front runner in this year’s preseason poll with 31 points and two first place votes, as voted on by the league’s seven head coaches.
The Blazers are coming off an impressive 25-17 campaign in 2024, where they posted a 12-5 conference record and advanced to the CCS semifinals before falling in a hard-fought battle against top-seeded Maryville. Belhaven returns 2024 CCS Player of the Year, junior infielder Owen Abney, who led the team in batting average (.350), slugging percentage (.581), hits (56), and RBI (60). The Blazers also bring back Tristan Pearson, a senior utility player and first-team all-conference selection, who paced the team in runs scored (47). On the mound, Colton Sylvester and Kade May will look to anchor pitching for Belhaven.
Coming in at No. 2 in the preseason poll with 29 points and two first-place votes, Piedmont is poised to challenge for the title. The Lions also posted a 25-17 record last season (12-6 CCS), highlighted by key wins over Methodist, Emory, and nationally ranked Christopher Newport. Despite a strong regular season, Piedmont’s playoff hopes were dashed after back-to-back losses to LaGrange and Maryville. The Lions will lean on senior pitcher Zeke Swartz, a first-team all-conference selection, who posted a 2.76 ERA and a 5-2 record in 2024.
After a 26-17 season (8-10 CCS) and a magical postseason run, LaGrange enters 2025 ranked third with 28 points and one first-place vote. The Panthers opened last year’s tournament by upsetting third-seeded Piedmont before eliminating Huntingdon and avenging an earlier loss to Belhaven. LaGrange forced a decisive championship game against Maryville but ultimately fell short in their bid for the title. This season, Panama native Eduardo Peralta returns to the mound after finishing 2024 with a 3.73 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 62 innings. Offensively, infielder Adam Dorn will be a key contributor after driving in 28 RBI last season.
Despite winning their first CCS baseball championship since 2009 and finishing with a stellar 30-10 overall record (14-3 CCS), Maryville enters the season at No. 4 in the preseason poll with 26 points and two first-place votes. The Scots dominated the conference tournament before splitting a thrilling championship series with LaGrange, ultimately capturing the title with a 9-3 victory in the decisive game. Head coach Clint Helton, the 2024 CCS Coach of the Year, returns to lead the program after securing his 100th career win during last year’s postseason run.
The Hawks entered this year’s ranking in fifth place with 16 points after finishing last season 19-20 overall (8-10 CCS) and will look to senior infielder Cade Morgan as a key leader on the field.
Covenant comes in sixth place in the preseason poll with 10 points after finishing last season 16-26 and 7-11 in conference play. The Scots brought back young talent in 2024 CCS Rookie Player of the Year Sam Cecil, who ranked in the top three on the team in batting average (.293) and slugging percentage (.431). The Scots also return 2024 CCS Rookie Pitcher of the Year Jonathan Glover, who logged 21.1 innings and a 2-2 record in 17 appearances last season.
Asbury rounds out the preseason poll in seventh place with seven points.
Conference play kicks off on Friday, March 14, with several conference teams taking to the field. Follow all the CCS baseball action with updated scores, schedules at standings at
www.collegiateconferenceofthesouth.com.
The 2025 CCS Baseball Championship Tournament will open highlighting the Top 6 contenders on Wednesday, April 30 and concluding with the championship game scheduled for Saturday, May 3 hosted by the highest-seeded team.
Below is a look at the 2025 CCS Baseball Preseason Poll. First-place votes are in parentheses:
2025 CCS BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
| 1. Belhaven |
31 (2) |
| 2. Piedmont |
29 (2) |
| 3. LaGrange |
28 (1) |
| 4. Maryville |
26 (2) |
| 5. Huntingdon |
16 |
| 6. Covenant |
10 |
| 7. Asbury |
7 |
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
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