CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina baseball has been ranked No. 17 nationally in the 2026 Perfect Game Baseball Preseason Poll, as announced Thursday by Perfect Game.
The preseason ranking reflects Coastal Carolina's strong foundation entering the 2026 season following a historic 2025 campaign that saw the Chanticleers post a program-record 56 wins, capture Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament championships, and advance to the College World Series Finals.
Coastal enters the 2026 season in its second year under head coach Kevin Schnall, who is coming off one of the most successful debut seasons by a head coach in program history. Schnall was named the 2025 National Coach of the Year by Baseball America, becoming the first rookie head coach to ever receive the honor, while also earning Coach of the Year accolades from the Sun Belt Conference, Perfect Game, and the American Baseball Coaches Association, which named him the Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
Coastal returns a veteran core and a talented pitching staff led by junior right-hander Cameron Flukey, the 2026 Perfect Game Preseason Pitcher of the Year and a Preseason First Team All-American. The Chanticleers' pitching staff is guided by pitching coach Matt Williams, who was named the 2025 ABCA Division I Baseball Assistant Coach of the Year and the 2025 D1Baseball.com Assistant Coach of the Year following Coastal's postseason run.
The Chanticleers will open the 2026 campaign on Friday, Feb. 13, when they host Fairfield at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C., with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
