Big Ten Releases Preseason Baseball Poll and Players to Watch List
UCLA the favorite to win the Big Ten Championship
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced its preseason baseball poll and players to watch list on Wednesday.
Coming off an appearance at the 2025 NCAA Men’s College World Series, UCLA is the unanimous choice to capture the 2026 Big Ten Baseball Championship, according to the Big Ten Preseason Poll. The Bruins received 17 first-place votes in balloting conducted by the conference’s head coaches.
UCLA, Oregon, USC and Nebraska (in that order) occupy the top spots in the poll – four programs that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last spring. Indiana and Iowa round out the poll which projected the top six spots.
UCLA is the nation’s top-ranked team in the Baseball America and D1Baseball preseason polls while Oregon is ranked as high as 13th by Perfect Game.
Coaches also selected three student-athletes from their respective squads to comprise the 51-member Big Ten Players to Watch List.
The watch list features seven players who earned All-Big Ten honors last season, including first teamers in Oregon’s Ryan Cooney and UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky. Cholowsky, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, was named National Player of the Year by the ABCA, Baseball America and Perfect Game last season.
The Big Ten baseball season commences Friday with Big Ten games beginning March 6.
BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
1. UCLA
2. Oregon
3. USC
4. Nebraska
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
|
NAME |
SCHOOL |
YEAR |
POSITION(S) |
HOMETOWN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nick Groves |
Illinois |
Sr. |
OF |
Bayfield, Ontario |
|
Regan Hall |
Illinois |
Jr. |
LHP |
Albuquerque, N.M. |
|
Collin Jennings |
Illinois |
Jr. |
OF |
Orland Park, Ill. |
|
Jackson Bergman |
Indiana |
Sr. |
RHP |
Hicksville, Ohio |
|
Hogan Denny |
Indiana |
So. |
C/OF |
Mooresville, Ind. |
|
Jake Hanley ^ |
Indiana |
So. |
1B |
Mason, Ohio |
|
Tyler Guerin |
Iowa |
So. |
RHP/1B |
Shoreview, Minn. |
|
Gable Mitchell |
Iowa |
Sr. |
INF |
Iowa City, Iowa |
|
Caleb Wulf |
Iowa |
Sr. |
INF |
West Liberty, Iowa |
|
Ty Kaunas |
Maryland |
Fr. |
SS |
Jefferson, Md. |
|
David Mendez |
Maryland |
Jr. |
2B |
Aldie, Va. |
|
Lance Williams |
Maryland |
So. |
RHP |
Shenandoah, Va. |
|
Tate Carey |
Michigan |
So. |
RHP |
Windsor, Ontario |
|
Gavin DeVooght |
Michigan |
Jr. |
RHP |
Walled Lake, Mich. |
|
Noah Miller |
Michigan |
R-So. |
C |
Monroe, Mich. |
|
Nolan Higgins |
Michigan State |
Sr. |
RHP |
Wixom, Mich. |
|
Ryan McKay ^ |
Michigan State |
Jr. |
2B |
Clarkston, Mich. |
|
Randy Seymour |
Michigan State |
Sr. |
1B |
Frankfort, Ill. |
|
Weber Neels ^ |
Minnesota |
Sr. |
C |
Cottage Grove, Minn. |
|
Cole Selvig |
Minnesota |
Jr. |
RHP |
Eau Claire, Minn. |
|
Charlie Sutherland |
Minnesota |
Jr. |
UTL |
Duluth, Minn. |
|
Jett Buck |
Nebraska |
Sr. |
INF |
Kansas City, Mo. |
|
Ty Horn |
Nebraska |
Jr. |
RHP |
Halstead, Kan. |
|
Case Sanderson |
Nebraska |
Jr. |
INF |
Nevada, Mo. |
|
Sam Hliboki |
Northwestern |
Gr. |
RHP |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
|
Ryan Kucherak |
Northwestern |
Jr. |
SS |
Chandler, Ariz. |
|
Jack Lausch |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
OF |
Chicago, Ill. |
|
Mason Eckelman |
Ohio State |
Jr. |
C |
Broadview Heights, Ohio |
|
Lee Ellis |
Ohio State |
Jr. |
INF |
White Plains, Md. |
|
Gavin Kuzniewski |
Ohio State |
So. |
RHP |
Fishers, Ind. |
|
Ryan Cooney + |
Oregon |
Jr. |
2B |
Portland, Ore. |
|
Maddox Molony * |
Oregon |
Jr. |
SS |
Springfield, Ore. |
|
Cal Scolari |
Oregon |
So. |
RHP |
Reno, Nevada |
|
Michael Anderson |
Penn State |
Sr. |
INF/RHP |
Havertown, Pa. |
|
Colin Fitzgerald |
Penn State |
R-Sr. |
RHP |
Lititz, Pa. |
|
Bryce Molinaro |
Penn State |
R-Jr. |
INF |
Drums, Pa. |
|
Dylan Drake |
Purdue |
Jr. |
INF |
Sacramento, Calif. |
|
Aaron Manias |
Purdue |
R-Sr. |
INF/OF |
Uxbridge, Ontario |
|
Cole Van Assen |
Purdue |
Jr. |
RHP |
Tinley Park, Ill. |
|
Peyton Bonds |
Rutgers |
Jr. |
OF |
Franklin, N.J. |
|
Chase Krewson |
Rutgers |
Jr. |
OF |
Bridgeville, Pa. |
|
Charlie Meglio |
Rutgers |
Jr. |
INF |
Jackson, N.J. |
|
Roch Cholowsky + |
UCLA |
Jr. |
SS |
Chandler, Ariz. |
|
Mulivia Levu ^ |
UCLA |
Jr. |
1B |
Huntington Beach, Calif. |
|
Logan Reddemann |
UCLA |
Jr. |
RHP |
Palmdale, Calif. |
|
Mason Edwards |
USC |
Jr. |
LHP |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
|
Adrian Lopez |
USC |
Jr. |
INF |
Baldwin Park, Calif. |
|
Adam Troy |
USC |
R-Jr. |
RHP |
Houston, Texas |
|
Hayden Lewis |
Washington |
Sr. |
RHP |
Scottsdale, Ariz. |
|
Casen Taggart |
Washington |
Gr. |
1B |
Everett, Wash. |
|
Jackson Thomas |
Washington |
Gr. |
RHP |
Mesa, Ariz. |
+ 2025 All-Big Ten First Team
^ 2025 All-Big Ten Second Team
* 2025 All-Big Ten Third Team