GREENVILLE, S.C. —The Belmont Abbey baseball team was selected to finish fourth in the Conference Carolinas preseason coaches poll that was released Friday by the league office. The poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and they can't vote for their own school.
The Crusaders received 136 points and three first-place votes in the poll. North Greenville and Francis Marion were tabbed as the co-favorites in the poll with 149 points and four first-place votes each. Young Harris was third with 145 points and also received three first-place votes. Mount Olive rounded out the top five with 126 points.
Belmont Abbey comes into the season as the defending Conference Carolinas Tournament champions and winning 41 games that resulted in the Abbey hosting a regional for the first time in program history.
The Crusaders open the season with a three-game series against Coker starting Friday, January 30.
The 2026 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship is scheduled to take place from Wednesday, April 29-Monday,May 4 at CaroMont Health Park and Sims Legion Park in Gastonia, North Carolina.
2026 Conference Carolinas
Baseball Preseason Poll
|
School |
Votes (first place) |
| 1 |
North Greenville |
149 (4) |
| 1 |
Francis Marion |
149 (4) |
| 3 |
Young Harris |
145 (3) |
| 4 |
Belmont Abbey |
136 (3) |
| 5 |
Mount Olive |
126 |
| 6 |
UNC Pembroke |
118 |
| 7 |
Emmanuel |
92 |
| 7 |
Barton |
92 |
| 9 |
Shorter |
75 |
| 10 |
Erskine |
58 |
| 11 |
King |
48 |
| 12 |
Southern Wesleyan |
40 |
| 13 |
Chowan |
23 |
| 13 |
Ferrum |
23 |
2026 Conference Carolinas Baseball
Players to Watch
Belmont Abbey
- Caleb Burr, Sr., OF, Mount Holly, North Carolina (2025 NCBWA, D2 CCA and ABCA All-Region Honors, 2025 first team All-Conference Carolinas)
- Spencer Cipro, Grad., RHP, Brookfield, Massachusetts (2025 NCBWA and D2 CCA All-Region Honors, 2025 first team All-Conference Carolinas)
- Drew Stegura, Sr., RHP, Lutz, Florida (2024 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
