Rollins Selected Third in SSC Preseason Poll

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - The Sunshine State Conference released the results of the 2026 preseason poll on Friday, as voted on by the eleven SSC head coaches. Rollins was chosen to finish third in the standings while reigning national champion Tampa was voted as the league's favorite to win in 2026.

Tampa has claimed eight Sunshine State Conference championships over the past 10 seasons while also capturing four NCAA Division II Baseball National Championships, including back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025. Florida Southern was picked to finish second after earning 92 points. Rollins was picked to finish third with 77 points, followed closely by Lynn in fourth with 75. Nova Southeastern leads the middle of the pack with 65 points, while Barry and Florida Tech are tied for sixth with 44 points each. Embry-Riddle is projected to finish in eighth (41), followed by Saint Leo (27), Palm Beach Atlantic (21), and Eckerd (20).

The Tars finished 29-19-1 last season, just missing out on a NCAA South Regional selection. They went 18-11-1 in conference play, and will look to reload in 2026 with a whopping 24 new players donning the blue and gold.

Senior Jimmy Thies will look to build on his All-Conference season last year that saw him lead the team with a .399 average, score 43 runs and post a 1.042 OPS. Michael Furry (.902 OPS, 10 HR) was one of three Tars to accumulate more than 100 total bases last year, and Joey Rubin (.290 avg, 19 XBH) will look to climb the all-time program hit list. He currently sits 12th all-time with 209 knocks, and is 93 hits away from Jason Cloar's record of 302. 

New faces to watch on offense include: Matthew Mateo, a transfer from Quincy who had a 1.068 OPS and 24 extra-base hits for the nationally ranked Hawks last year; Jayden Brown, a 6-1 outfielder from Eastern Kentucky; Xavier Lopez, who transferred from Appalachian State; Elvin Figueroa, a powerful first baseman who joins by way of Black Hawk CC; and Logan Struk, a freshman from Charleston who was ranked as a Top 20 prospect from South Carolina.

AJ Seymour and Tyler Toro are the top returners on the mound. Seymour was the team leader in ERA last season, posting a 2.94 mark in 52 innings across 20 appearances. He also led the team with four saves. Toro started 13 games and tossed 67.2 innings with a 4.26 ERA and a team-high 51 strikeouts. 

Pitching coach Patrick Szczerba is excited for his new wave of arms that are joining the team. Brody Meyers is a junior transfer from Blackhawk CC who dished out 83 strikeouts in 60 innings last year. Noah Greenseid redshirted at Notre Dame last year, and will fight for a spot in the Tars' rotation. Mark Loubier, a Florida Atlantic transfer, is another name to look out for on the mound. 

Rollins begins their 2026 season with a daunting road slate. The Tars were invited to participate in the the 2026 Houston Winter Invitational, hosted by Central Missouri at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros. Beginning on Friday, January 30, the Tars will match up against last year's national runner-up, Central Missouri, followed by Arkansas Tech (NCAA Central Region last year) on Saturday, January 31, and North Greenville (NCAA Southeast Regional last year) on Sunday, February 1.

Projected - Team - Total (First-Place Votes)
1 Tampa 99 (9)
2 Florida Southern 92 (2)
3 Rollins 77
4 Lynn 75
5 Nova Southeastern 65
T6 Barry 44
T6 Florida Tech 44
8 Embry-Riddle 41
9 Saint Leo 27
10 Palm Beach Atlantic 21
11 Eckerd 20