Baseball Selected Second in SSC Preseason Coaches' Poll

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference has tabbed Florida Southern College baseball to finish second, according to the 2026 SSC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

"As we talk about each year, this is a preseason vote for a reason," said head coach Rick O'Dette on the poll. "We start up on January 30th and every day we come to the field matters. We are excited to see what 2026 has in store for us." 
 
The Mocs earned 92 points, behind the University of Tampa, which was picked first with 99 points. FSC snagged two first-place votes, followed by Rollins College (77 points), Lynn University (75 points), and Nova Southeastern University (65 points). The final ranked programs are Barry University, Florida Tech, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Saint Leo University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Eckerd College.
 
In 2025, the Moccasins finished with a 38-15-1 overall record and hosted the NCAA DII South Region #2 bracket. In his first year with the Mocs, head coach O'Dette earned national recognition as the DII Coach of the Year by Perfect Game, leading FSC with eight All-Sunshine State Conference selections, two All-South Region award winners, and an All-American.
 
With a 20-9-1 record, Florida Southern finished second in the SSC standings behind the Tampa Spartans. The Mocs were the only team in the conference to win a series over the No. 1 team, winning 2-1 in the three-game series. FSC opened the season with a series win over then-No. 14 University of West Florida, later losing in the South Region #2 title game to the Argonauts, who finished No. 10 in the DII poll. Despite the NCAA tournament outcome, the Mocs won games against the University of West Alabama and Delta State University, the first regional wins for FSC since the 2018 season.
 
With a new team set for 2026, the Mocs will open the season with a rematch against the University of West Florida, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, in Pensacola, Fla. The FSC home opener will be against Valdosta State University on Tuesday, Feb. 3, with a 5 p.m. start at Henley Field.

Sunshine State Conference Preseason Baseball Poll

Projected Place	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