UT Tyler is the favorite to win its first Lone Star Conference baseball title according to the 2026 preseason poll, it was announced on Thursday (Jan. 22). UT Tyler teammates Drew Schmidt and Caden Copeland claimed preseason player of the year honors.
The preseason poll and preseason players of the year are voted on by LSC head coaches, sports information directors and media members.
UT Tyler totaled 603 points and collected 20 of the possible 42 first-place votes in the poll. Head coach Brent Porche’s Patriots were 49-13 overall – a program record for wins in a single season – and 40-8 in league play last season. They captured their first NCAA Division II South Central Super Regional title, going a perfect 5-0 through the Regional and Super Regional. UT Tyler, which led the conference in pitching (3.69 ERA) last year, enters the season ranked No. 4 in the D2Baseball.com Top 25 Poll.
Defending league and LSC tournament champion Angelo State was picked as the runner-up with 599 points and also received 20 first-place votes. The Rams, who have won an LSC-best eight league crowns and raised the national championship trophy in 2023, went 48-10 overall and 39-7 in conference play last year. They reached the Super Regional. ASU led the league in hitting (.366 average) and fielding (.978) in 2025. The Rams are ranked No. 11 in the preseason national poll.
Lubbock Christian was the third-place selection with 510 points. The Chaps, who won the league title in 2024, went 34-23 overall and 30-18 in conference last season and reached the NCAA tournament. They also led the league with 89 home runs. LCU is receiving votes in the preseason national poll.
St. Edward’s was selected in the fourth spot with 501 points. The Hilltoppers went 37-23 overall and 31-17 in conference play in 2025. They reached the LSC tournament title game and made the NCAA tournament.
Three-time LSC champion West Texas A&M was predicted to finish fifth with 474 points. St. Mary’s (404 points) was the sixth-place selection, followed by six-time league champion Texas A&M-Kingsville (389 points) to round out what would be the potential seven teams to qualify for the LSC Championship. TAMUK received one first-place vote.
Eastern New Mexico was the eighth-place pick with 326 points, followed by UT Permian Basin (249 points) and Texas A&M International (246 points). TAMIU picked up the final first-place vote. New league member UT Dallas (243 points), Oklahoma Christian (181 points), Cameron (164 points) and Sul Ross State (67 points) rounded out the LSC’s 14 baseball teams.
Schmidt was named LSC Preseason Player of the Year. The 6-foot junior shortstop from Lewisville, Texas hit .410 with eight home runs, 22 doubles, five triples and 60 RBI last season. He also scored 68 runs and walked 37 times. His double and triple totals tied for the league lead. Schmidt earned All-American and All-LSC First Team honors.
Copeland was named LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. The 6-foot-2 senior left-hander from Midlothian, Texas transfers in after stops at Division I teams Sam Houston State and Louisiana Tech. At Louisiana Tech from 2022-24, he made 35 appearances, striking out 50 batters over 51 2/3 innings of work.
Additionally, 28 players – 14 position players and 14 pitchers including Schmidt and Copeland – were selected for the LSC Baseball Preseason Players to Watch list. The student-athletes were nominated by their member institution.
Notes:
- The LSC baseball season begins as early as Jan. 30 (Friday). To see the league schedule, click here.
- Due to being NCAA Division II provisional members, UTD and SRSU are not eligible for the LSC baseball tournament but are able to win the LSC regular season title and postseason awards.
- The LSC baseball tournament’s opening round is scheduled for May 1-3 (Friday-Sunday) at the site of the league’s No. 2, 3 and 4 seed. The championship round is set for May 8-10 (Friday-Sunday) at the league’s No. 1 seed.
- All LSC baseball regular season and tournament games can be viewed live on FloCollege. Monthly and yearly subscriptions are available.
- The NCAA Division II South Central Regional is scheduled for May 14-17 with the Super Regional following on May 21-23. The campus sites are TBD.
- The NCAA Division II Baseball Championship is set for May 29-June 6 at USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
2026 LSC BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL, AWARDS, PLAYERS/PITCHERS TO WATCH
Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
1st |
Total |
| 1 |
UT Tyler |
20 |
603 |
| 2 |
Angelo State |
20 |
599 |
| 3 |
Lubbock Christian |
|
510 |
| 4 |
St. Edward’s |
|
501 |
| 5 |
West Texas A&M |
|
474 |
| 6 |
St. Mary’s |
|
404 |
| 7 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
1 |
389 |
| 8 |
Eastern New Mexico |
|
326 |
| 9 |
UT Permian Basin |
|
249 |
| 10 |
Texas A&M International |
1 |
246 |
| 11 |
UT Dallas |
|
243 |
| 12 |
Oklahoma Christian |
|
181 |
| 13 |
Cameron |
|
164 |
| 14 |
Sul Ross State |
|
67 |
Preseason Player of the Year
Drew Schmidt, SS, Jr., UT Tyler
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Caden Copeland, LHP, Sr., UT Tyler
Preseason Players to Watch
| Name |
Team |
Pos. |
Class |
Major |
Hometown |
| Chase Pendley |
Angelo State |
INF |
Sr. |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
Prosper, Texas |
| Zane Roos |
Cameron |
OF |
Sr. |
Sports Exercise Science |
St. Louis, Mo. |
| Adrien Martin |
Eastern New Mexico |
INF |
Jr. |
Criminal Justice |
Albuquerque, N.M. |
| Kyle Lewis |
Lubbock Christian |
OF |
Sr. |
Business |
Lubbock, Texas |
| Trey Migl |
Oklahoma Christian |
OF |
Sr. |
Accounting |
Piedmont, Okla. |
| Connor Cox |
St. Edward’s |
INF |
Sr. |
Business Administration |
Longview, Texas |
| Garrett Brooks |
St. Mary’s |
OF/1B |
Sr. |
Management |
Spring Branch, Texas |
| Leo Salas |
Sul Ross State |
1B/OF |
Jr. |
Industrial Technology |
Haltom City, Texas |
| Eddie Saenz |
Texas A&M International |
INF |
Sr. |
Exercise Sci. & Kinesiology |
Laredo, Texas |
| Jayden Martinez |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
C |
Sr. |
General Studies |
Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Nico Fernandez |
UT Dallas |
C |
Sr. |
Mechanical Engineering |
Cypress, Texas |
| Gael Bernal |
UT Permian Basin |
INF |
Jr. |
Exercise Science |
El Paso, Texas |
| Drew Schmidt |
UT Tyler |
SS |
Jr. |
Management |
Lewisville, Texas |
| Tristin Thomas |
West Texas A&M |
OF/LHP |
So. |
Business |
Carlsbad, N.M. |
Preseason Pitchers to Watch
| Name |
Team |
Pos. |
Class |
Major |
Hometown |
| Josh Reed |
Angelo State |
LHP |
So. |
Business Management |
Midland, Texas |
| Jared Hughes |
Cameron |
RHP |
Sr. |
Sports Exercise Science |
Hillsboro, Mo. |
| Nick Mooney |
Eastern New Mexico |
LHP |
Sr. |
Business Administration |
Houston, Texas |
| Caden Cline |
Lubbock Christian |
RHP |
Sr. |
Management |
Lubbock, Texas |
| Corbin Kwan |
Oklahoma Christian |
LHP |
Jr. |
Finance |
Edmond, Okla. |
| Camden White |
St. Edward’s |
RHP |
Jr. |
Undecided |
Choctaw, Okla. |
| Kaleb Gauna |
St. Mary’s |
RHP |
Sr. |
Exercise & Sports Science |
Hondo, Texas |
| Jack Topolski |
Sul Ross State |
RHP |
Jr. |
Business |
Cleveland, Ohio |
| Mark Chapa |
Texas A&M International |
RHP |
Jr. |
Pre-Physical / Occ Therapy |
Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Tyler Schumann |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
RHP |
So. |
Sports Business |
Fulshear, Texas |
| David Dean |
UT Dallas |
LHP |
Jr. |
Business Administration |
Owasso, Okla. |
| Timmy LaChappa |
UT Permian Basin |
RHP |
So. |
Management |
Hemet, Calif. |
| Caden Copeland |
UT Tyler |
LHP |
Sr. |
Finance |
Midlothian, Texas |
| Cade Griffin |
West Texas A&M |
RHP |
Jr. |
Sports & Exercise Science |
Willis, Texas |
