TYLER, TEXAS – The UT Tyler baseball program will open the 2026 season ranked No. 4 nationally in the D2 Baseball Preseason Top 25 Poll, as announced Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots' fourth-place ranking is the highest in the Lone Star Conference, edging conference rival Angelo State, which enters the preseason at No. 11. UT Tyler is also the top-ranked team in the South Central Region, with Colorado Mesa checking in at No. 12, one spot behind the Rams.
The three programs ranked ahead of UT Tyler all advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series in Cary, North Carolina last season and each won at least one game in the tournament, as did the Patriots. Defending back to back national champion Tampa sits atop the poll, followed by last season's runner up Central Missouri, with East Stroudsburg coming in at No. 3.
UT Tyler is coming off the most successful season in program history since joining Division II. The Patriots earned their first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II World Series after upsetting host Angelo State in the South Central Super Regional. UT Tyler finished the year with a 49–13 overall record and a dominant 40–8 mark in Lone Star Conference play.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Patriots return to the national spotlight with a roster built for another postseason run. UT Tyler brings in the No. 1-ranked transfer portal class in Division II, while also returning key contributors Drew Schmidt, Tanner Hornback, Bryce Jewell, Connor Clark, and Kaston Mason.
UT Tyler will open the season at home, hosting Lubbock Christian in a three-game Lone Star Conference series beginning January 30 at Irwin Field, as the Patriots set their sights on a return trip to Cary and another deep postseason run.
