ATLANTA, Ga. (February 2, 2026) - After a historic 2025 campaign, Maryville sits atop the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Baseball Preseason Poll. The Scots earned 34 points and four first-place votes from league head coaches, marking the first time Maryville has been picked atop the preseason rankings.
Maryville finished last season 33–14 overall and 15–3 in conference play, securing the No. 1 seed and hosting the CCS Baseball Championship. The Scots opened tournament play with wins over Covenant and Piedmont before their postseason run came to a close in the semifinal round against Belhaven. Maryville extended its season for the first time since 1977 with an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament, opening play at the Lynchburg Regional. After falling to Emory in the opener, the Scots rebounded with an 8–6 win over Marymount (Va.) before their postseason run came to a close in a 6–3 rematch against Emory. The upcoming season also carries historic significance, as Maryville celebrates its 150th year of baseball — one of the longest-running collegiate baseball programs in the nation. Returning to anchor the lineup is 2025 CCS Player of the Year Colin Dunworth, alongside 2025 CCS Coach of the Year Clint Helton entering his seventh season. The Scots also welcome back senior pitcher Kyle Timko, who logged nearly 78 innings with a 4.06 ERA, and senior infielder Brayden Evans, a steady offensive presence who hit .315 last season.
Belhaven was picked to finish second in the preseason poll with 31 points and two first-place votes after a memorable postseason run in 2025. The Blazers closed 2025 with a 34–15 overall record and a 13–5 mark in CCS play. Entering last year’s conference tournament as the No. 2 seed, Belhaven pieced together wins over Huntingdon, Piedmont, and Maryville to reach the championship round before falling to Huntingdon in a decisive winner-take-all game. Still, the Blazers’ season continued with an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship — the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance. Belhaven swept through the Webster Regional, defeating Rhodes and No. 13 Webster before advancing to the Super Regional round, where their postseason run concluded against No. 2 Denison. Now under the leadership of head coach Patrick Robey, the Blazers return a veteran core highlighted by all-conference selections senior JD Weed (.316 average, .516 slugging percentage, 16 stolen bases, six home runs), junior Nick Thornton (.423 average, .496 slugging percentage, 34 runs scored), and senior Blake McCarthy (.336 average, .473 slugging percentage, team-high 52 RBI).
LaGrange was selected third in the preseason poll with 26 points and one first-place vote after finishing last season 19–23 overall and 10–8 in conference play. Head coach David Kelton enters his 13th season at the helm, returning an experienced lineup supplemented by a recruiting class that features 20 incoming freshmen. LaGrange is led on the mound by reigning CCS Rookie of the Year Josiah Chiesa, who posted a 3.13 ERA with 61 strikeouts in just over 63 innings during his standout freshman campaign. LaGrange also brings back all-conference performers Jackson McElvy, who hit .400 with 22 RBI and nine stolen bases in just 29 games, and senior Curt Bonner, who drove in 32 runs and homered six times last season. With experience across the diamond, the Panthers aim to contend deeper into conference play in 2026.
Piedmont was picked fourth with 20 points following a strong 27–15 season that included a 12–6 CCS record. The Lions made a national statement early, sweeping No. 22 Chapman to open the season and earning seven wins over top-25 opponents overall. Piedmont entered last year’s CCS Tournament as the No. 3 seed and opened with a win over LaGrange before falling to Belhaven and Maryville in the later rounds. The Lions return 2025 CCS Rookie Player of the Year Ben Connelly, who hit .346 while leading the team in doubles and sacrifice bunts. He is joined by senior outfielder Cody Funk (.327 average, 31 walks, 43 runs scored) and sophomore infielder Carter Few, who led the team with a .367 batting average.
Despite capturing the 2025 CCS Baseball Championship title, Huntingdon was selected fifth in the preseason poll with 19 points after a 23–21 overall finish and a 7–11 conference record. Entering the postseason as the No. 5 seed, the Hawks rallied after an opening-round loss to Belhaven, navigating weather delays and elimination games to defeat Covenant and LaGrange before upsetting Belhaven in a winner-take-all championship to secure the program’s first CCS baseball title. Huntingdon carried that momentum into its first-ever NCAA Division III Regional appearance, picking up a 10-inning win over Millsaps before the season concluded against East Texas Baptist. The Hawks return senior pitcher/utility Brent Cadenhead, their lone all-conference selection from a season defined by resilience and timely performances.
Covenant follows in sixth with 11 points and Asbury rounds out the preseason poll in seventh place with six 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 2026 CCS Baseball Championship Tournament will open highlighting the Top 6 contenders on Wednesday, April 29 and concluding with the championship game scheduled for Saturday, May 2 hosted by Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss.
Below is a look at the 2026 CCS Baseball Preseason Poll. First-place votes are in parentheses:
2026 CCS BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
| Ranking |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Maryville College |
34 points (4) |
| 2 |
Belhaven University |
31 points (2) |
| 3 |
LaGrange College |
26 points (1) |
| 4 |
Piedmont University |
20 points |
| 5 |
Huntingdon College |
19 points |
| 6 |
Covenant College |
11 points |
| 7 |
Asbury University |
6 points |
First-place votes in parenthesis.
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.
Follow all things #CCS on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram at @ccofsouth for all the latest news around the league.