The Southeastern Conference released its 2026 baseball preseason coaches poll on Thursday, with defending national champion LSU predicted to claim the title. The Tigers edged out Texas for the top spot after receiving nine first-place votes. Alongside the poll, preseason All-SEC teams were announced, highlighting players from multiple programs.
The SEC's 16 head coaches voted in the annual preseason poll, released on February 5, 2026, placing LSU at the top with 231 points and nine first-place votes. Texas finished second, while Mississippi State rounded out the top three. This prediction comes after LSU's dominant 2025 season, where the Tigers won their eighth national championship since 1991 by capturing the Men's College World Series title with just one loss. In that tournament, LSU defeated Coastal Carolina in the finals after back-to-back games, having earlier eliminated Arkansas in the semifinals. Arkansas had advanced by winning the Fayetteville Regional and Super Regional, including a victory over Tennessee.
The poll underscores the SEC's strength, with 13 of its 16 teams appearing in various national preseason top-25 rankings. The conference season tips off on February 13, 2026, with full SEC play beginning March 13. The SEC Baseball Tournament is scheduled for May 19-24 in Hoover, Alabama.
Preseason All-SEC teams featured selections from 11 programs, with LSU and Texas each earning five spots across the first and second teams—the most in the league. LSU secured three first-team honors: outfielder Derek Curiel, starting pitcher Casan Evans, and relief pitcher Zac Cowan. The Tigers also had second-team picks in shortstop Steven Milam and outfielder Jake Brown.
Other first-team standouts include Texas A&M's Gavin Grahovac at first base, Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick, and Tennessee's Henry Ford in the outfield. Starting pitchers like Ole Miss's Hunter Elliott and Florida's Liam Peterson also made the cut, alongside relievers from Tennessee and Florida.
