NEW HAVEN, Conn. (January 27, 2026) – Felician University has been selected for first place in the 2026 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll. The voting was conducted by the conference’s 12 head coaches and the results were announced today by CACC Commissioner Dan Mara.
For the first time in a full season since the 2017 campaign, the CACC baseball regular season will not be contested in a divisional format. The conference’s 12 teams will play three games against each of the others, a doubleheader and a single game. Each school will thus have 33 league contests, and the top eight teams in the standings at season’s end will qualify for the CACC Championship tournament.
Felician (43-22, 28-8 in 2025) shared the CACC North Division regular-season championship a year ago, and went on to become the first conference school in 10 years to win the NCAA Division II East Region. The Golden Falcons received nine first-place votes and 118 total points in the poll.
Wilmington University (37-22, 23-11) secured two first-place votes and was selected for second place with 107 points, followed by Thomas Jefferson University in third (100 points) and Goldey-Beacom College in fourth (91). Wilmington won the 2025 CACC championship, while Jefferson captured the South Division regular-season crown. In order, the Rams, Wildcats, Golden Falcons, and Lightning were the top four seeds in last year’s NCAA East Region playoffs.
Dominican University New York claimed the final first-place vote and was chosen for fifth place with 88 points. Also predicted for playoff position were Post University (6th, 67 points), Chestnut Hill College (7th, 56), and Holy Family University (8th, 48). Rounding out the balloting were Caldwell University (47 points), the University of Bridgeport (32), Georgian Court University (24), and Lincoln University of Pennsylvania (14).
The regular season begins with four teams in action during the weekend of February 13-15, with conference action slated to start on Wednesday, March 11. The CACC Tournament first round will be held on May 1-2 with four best-of-three series at campus sites. Post University will host the four-team, double-elimination final segment on May 7-9 at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Conn. The CACC champion will automatically quality for the 2026 NCAA D-II East Regional Championship.
2026 CACC BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
(First-place votes in parentheses)
| Rank |
School |
Points |
| 1. |
Felician University (9) |
118 |
| 2. |
Wilmington University (2) |
107 |
| 3. |
Thomas Jefferson University |
100 |
| 4. |
Goldey-Beacom College |
91 |
| 5. |
Dominican University New York (1) |
88 |
| 6. |
Post University |
67 |
| 7. |
Chestnut Hill College |
56 |
| 8. |
Holy Family University |
48 |
| 9. |
Caldwell University |
47 |
| 10. |
University of Bridgeport |
32 |
| 11. |
Georgian Court University |
24 |
| 12. |
Lincoln University |
14 |
Founded in 1961, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference has been affiliated with NCAA Division II for 20 years. Conference institutions compete for championships in 17 sports – seven for men, nine for women, and one co-ed. The CACC contains 11 full members in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Membership includes the University of Bridgeport, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Dominican University New York, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Post University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Wilmington University.