COLUMBUS, Miss. - The W baseball has been picked to place third in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Coaches' Poll, it has been announced. Webster University is the 2026 SLIAC baseball preseason favorite, as voted on by league coaches.
The Gorloks totaled 64 points in the voting, including grabbing eight first-place votes. With three returning All-Conference starting pitchers, the Gorloks will lean on their pitching to limit opponents' bats. Ryan Greifelt is the reigning SLIAC Pitcher of the Year after going 11-3 with a 2.90 earned-run average and 84 strikeouts. Fellow First Team All-Conference pitcher Carter Hunt was 10-1 with a 2.21 earned-run average, while Eli Rompala-Matthews was 5-1 with 46 strikeouts in picking up Third Team honors. Junior outfielder James Theodore, a starter since day one, will be the focal point of the lineup. He hit .349 last year with 30 RBI and 12 doubles while being named Third Team All-Conference. Ryan Hartz was also a Third Team pick after batting .283 with 6 home runs and 31 RBI. Head Coach Bill Kurich welcomes in several talented players, including transfers Adam Moser and Chris Lara and freshmen Colt Amburst, Braedan Trissell, Logan Manuello, and Matthew Lanier.
Spalding University comes in second on the poll with 55 points and one first-place nod. The Golden Eagles went 28-14 last season and welcomed in new head coach Larry Owens. He steps into a program that brings back three All-Conference performers. Cameron Rayborn and Cayden Krystofiak form a strong top of the rotation with both players earning Second Team All-Conference honors last season. Rayborn went 6-1 with a 3.83 earned-run average while Krystofiak was 8-3 with 83 strikeouts and was the 2024 SLIAC Pitcher of the Year. The lineup will be built around Evan Fisher and AJ Lopez. Fisher was an All-Conference hitter after batting .311 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI one year ago, while Lopez hit .297 with 30 RBI. Jordan Howard, Brayden Caldemeyer, West Bickett, Noah Godwin, and Logan Strong are a group of new players to keep an eye on.
MUW finished third with 49 points. The Owls went 21-17 overall and advanced to the conference tournament championship, and also placed second in the regular season. They bring back
a solid group of returners, headlined by first-team all-conference infielder
Zach Johnson, who hit .375 with 8 home runs and 49 RBI.
Baron Brack offers protection with his .326 average, driving in 33 RBI with 13 doubles.
Matthew Windham (.308 average and 27 RBI),
Swayze Rikard (.284 average), and
Connor Reilly fill out the lineup.
Campbell McCluney was 5-0 on the bump, earning Second Team All-Conference honors.
Lyon College comes in fourth with 41 points. The Scots boast four returning All-Conference players. Eli Marcotte hit .331 with 8 home runs and 34 RBI, while Landon Swallo hit .346 with 29 RBI. Kooper McCoy finished with a .364 average and 40 RBI, while Braden Bramlett batted .375 with 16 RBI. The quartet is joined by Ashton Compton, Slade Inman, and
Walker Smith to give the Scots an experienced lineup. New faces on the team are Tyler Hahn, Connor Taylor, Brody Bailey, and Aiden Linson.
With a total of 38 points is Westminster College. The Blue Jays bring back seven hitters and four starting pitchers from a squad that was 19-22 overall last season. Troy Romero earned All-Conference after batting .355 with 12 doubles and 26 RBI, as did Beno Ballard, who hit .297 with 8 home runs and 37 RBI. Aden Pecka and Sam Alles give depth to the lineup. Derek Archer and Jack Page will head up the rotation and are joined by Colyn Wright and Blake Althuisius.
Greenville University finished with 30 points, placing them sixth. The Panthers will be led by All-Conference hitter Snyder Pennington. The senior hit .316 with 3 home runs and 39 RBI with 14 doubles last season. Matt Roco (.320 average) and Landyn Smith will join Pennington in the starting lineup. The pitching staff will be headed up by Cade Buehnerkemper and Dawson Hope, who combined for over 120 innings pitched. Joining the team this year are Joseph Guzman, Hunter Britz, Kale Cameron, and JD Bowser.
Eureka College finished with 24 points, putting them seventh on the poll. Head Coach Noah Suarez has a large group of returners while bringing in numerous transfers that give him a roster of 77 players. SLIAC Freshman of the Year Conor Fitzpatrick returns after hitting .337 with 22 RBI and 13 stolen bases. Fellow All-Conference performer Emilio Villanueva is the team's top returning pitcher. Also back are Noah Company, Ben Perrine, Hayden McKenna, Josh Frenden, Gabe Peters. Among the transfers counted on to play a key role are Camden Smith, Montrez West, Griffin Klein, Nate Cooley, Alex Benavides, and Dylan Smith.
Blackburn College is eighth in the voting with 12 points. Head Coach Dalton Fisher returns 11 hitters and five pitchers from a team that went 7-30 overall. The lineup will be include four hitters that finished with a batting average over .287 last season: Harley Carney, Dominic Medrano, Andrew Medina, and Josh Moreno. Top newcomers for the program are: Kannon Dempsey, Thomas Stockford, and Joey Congi.
Principia College totaled 11 points, placing them ninth. The roster consists of 22 returners and 9 returners and will have a little more experience than years past, with 13 juniors. Braxton Ramsey hit .327 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI last season while being named All-Conference. Kailis Mayo will also be counted on for leadership. Gage Vanlandingham should make an immediate impact on the program.
