Baseball

SWAC Announces Baseball Preseason Poll

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2026 SWAC Baseball Predicted Order of Finish on Monday morning with Bethune-Cookman tabbed as the league favorite heading into the upcoming season. The preseason poll was voted upon by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Bethune-Cookman was picked to finish in 1st place overall as the Wildcats tallied a league leading 12 first place points and 209 total points. Florida A&M (2nd), Alabama State (3rd), Grambling State (4th), and Jackson State (5th) round out the list of top five SWAC Preseason Poll selections.

The 2026 SWAC Baseball regular season is set to begin this week with league teams returning to action. The SWAC Baseball Tournament will be held May 20-24 at Rickwood Field located in Birmingham, Ala.
 
A complete listing of preseason poll rankings is listed below.

2026 SWAC Baseball Preseason Poll

Predicted Order of Finish
  1. Bethune-Cookman- 209 (12)
  2. Florida A&M- 185 (2)
  3. Alabama State- 178 (2)
  4. Grambling State- 143
  5. Jackson State- 141
  6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 136 (2)
  7. Southern- 118 (2)
  8. Texas Southern- 84
  9. Prairie View A&M- 70
  10. Alabama A&M- 65
  11. Alcorn State- 38
  12. Mississippi Valley State- 37
  *First place votes listed in parenthesis

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.