TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball continued its preseason momentum Monday afternoon as D2 Baseball announced its 2026 Preseason All-American selections, with Drew Schmidt earning First Team honors and Tanner Hornback being named to the Second Team.

Schmidt, a junior shortstop from Lewisville, Texas, was one of the nation's top returners after a historic 2025 campaign that saw him break UT Tyler's single-season hits record. He hit .410 with a 1.144 OPS while starting all 62 games for the Patriots, scoring 68 runs and collecting 98 hits, including 22 doubles, five triples and eight home runs. Schmidt also drove in 60 runs, posted a .500 on-base percentage and stole 13 bases, anchoring one of the most productive lineups in Division II baseball.

Hornback, a junior second baseman, earned Second Team Preseason All-American recognition following a record-setting season of his own. Hornback broke the program's single-season runs scored record with 68 while appearing and starting in all 62 games. He matched Schmidt with a .410 batting average and finished the year with a 1.094 OPS, recording 86 hits, 18 doubles, four triples and four home runs. Hornback drove in 46 runs, reached base at a .504 clip and added 16 stolen bases, providing consistent impact at the top of the order.

The national honors come as UT Tyler enters the 2026 season as the preseason favorite to win the Lone Star Conference and ranked No. 4 nationally in the D2 Baseball Preseason Top 25 Poll. The Patriots are coming off the most successful season in program history, finishing 49–13 overall and earning the program's first-ever berth to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship in Cary, North Carolina.

UT Tyler opens the 2026 season at home on January 30 with a three-game Lone Star Conference series against Lubbock Christian at Irwin Field, as the Patriots look to build on last season's historic run.