NEW ALBANY, Ind. – The IU Southeast baseball team was ranked second in the 2026 River States Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the RSC announced Thursday.
IU Southeast is receiving votes in the NAIA National Poll, coming off a season in which they made the NAIA National Tournament for the second straight season. The Grenadiers went 32-18 in 2025 and won a pair of games in the Hattiesburg Regional, defeating host William Carey as well as Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Vince Tornincasa takes over as head coach of the IU Southeast baseball program. Tornincasa served as the lead assistant and hitting coach last season.
The Grenadiers return two All-RSC players from a season ago: RHP
Brendan Whalen and RHP
Luca Sandrella. Whalen earned 2024-25 IU Southeast Newcomer of the Year, and Sandrella was named RSC Freshman of the Year last season.
IU Southeast has 22 newcomers on this year's roster, including three NCAA Division 1 transfers.
The Oakland City Mighty Oaks are picked to win their second consecutive River States Conference baseball title, receiving five first place votes. The poll, announced Thursday by the River States Conference office, saw each of the conference's ten head coaches rank the other member schools in order of predicted finish.
(RV) Oakland City won the regular season title last season with a 20-3 record before racking up 48 runs in three wins to claim the RSC Baseball Tournament title. Oakland City played in the NAIA Opening Round in Waleska, Georgia, falling to Loyola and Ave Maria.
(RV) IU Southeast finished second in the poll and received three first place votes. The remaining first place votes went to Shawnee State, who was at the top of two ballots. Midway rounded out the top four, coming off their appearance in the RSC title game last year.
IU Kokomo rounded out the top half of the conference, with the coaches placing the Cougars fifth. In the bottom half of the poll, the coaches placed Brescia sixth, Rio Grande seventh, WVU Tech eighth, Kentucky Christian ninth, and IU Columbus tenth.
Although some teams play countable games during the fall season, the NAIA baseball schedule begins in earnest on January 22. The first scheduled date of conference play of is scheduled for February 27, with the schedule gearing towards the 2026 River States Conference Baseball Tournament, scheduled for April 30-May 3 at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.
2026 RSC PRESEASON BASEBALL COACHES' POLL
1. Oakland City (77 points, 5 first place votes)
2. IU Southeast (72 points, 3 first place votes)
3. Shawnee State (65 points, 2 first place votes)
4. Midway (57 points)
5. IU Kokomo (49 points)
6. Brescia (44 points)
7. Rio Grande (34 points)
8. WVU Tech (26 points)
9. Kentucky Christian (16 points)
10. IU Columbus (10 points)
