CONWAY, S.C. – The Sun Belt Conference announced its 2026 baseball preseason awards and Coaches Poll on Wednesday, with Coastal Carolina earning multiple individual honors and being selected as the preseason favorite to win the league.
Cameron Flukey was named the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year, headlining a strong showing for Coastal Carolina in the league's preseason honors. Flukey also earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team recognition as a starting pitcher, as the Chanticleers placed four players on the preseason all-conference team, the most of any program.
Following an extraordinary 2025 season, the junior right-hander enters the 2026 campaign as a unanimous First Team All-American by Baseball America, one of just three players nationally to receive unanimous First Team recognition and the only pitcher to do so. Flukey has also been selected as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year by both Baseball America and Perfect Game, while earning Preseason First Team All-America honors from Perfect Game and D1Baseball.
Flukey appeared in 18 games with 17 starts during his breakout sophomore season, compiling a 7-2 record with a 3.19 ERA across 101.2 innings pitched. He struck out a team-high 118 batters while limiting opponents to a .209 batting average and allowing just 78 hits. He recorded a complete-game shutout against Marshall on April 18 and continued to excel in the postseason, pitching 22.0 innings with 25 strikeouts across four NCAA Tournament appearances. Flukey logged 10.0 innings with a 2.70 ERA at the Men's College World Series, playing a key role in wins over Auburn and Arizona as Coastal Carolina advanced to the national championship series.
Joining Flukey on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team as a starting pitcher was Hayden Johnson, who emerged as one of the Chanticleers' most reliable arms during the 2025 season. The junior right-hander appeared in 24 games and pitched 38.1 innings, posting a perfect 5-0 record with one save. Johnson struck out 55 batters while facing 167 hitters, providing consistent middle- and late-inning depth for a pitching staff that fueled a program-record 56 wins and a run to the College World Series Finals. He also earned selection to the 2026 Perfect Game Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team.
Ryan Lynch earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team honors as a relief pitcher following one of the most dominant bullpen seasons in program history. The graduate student posted a 0.56 ERA across 32.0 innings in 28 appearances during the 2025 season, recording nine saves and a 2-1 record while striking out 36 batters against 134 hitters. Lynch consistently delivered in high-leverage situations throughout Coastal Carolina's postseason run and enters the 2026 season as a D1Baseball Preseason Second-Team All-American.
Rounding out Coastal Carolina's preseason selections was outfielder Dean Mihos, who earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team honors after a standout 2025 campaign. Mihos appeared in 52 games with 49 starts, batting .332 while collecting 16 extra-base hits, including 12 doubles. He added three home runs, drove in 22 runs, scored 50 times and slugged .453. Defensively, Mihos recorded 109 putouts with just two errors for a .982 fielding percentage.
Mihos elevated his play during the postseason and earned Men's College World Series All-Tournament Team honors after hitting .450 in Omaha with four RBIs, including a double, triple and home run. His timely hitting helped fuel Coastal Carolina's run to the national championship series. Mihos also earned selection to the 2026 Perfect Game Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team.
In addition to the individual accolades, Coastal Carolina was selected as the preseason favorite in the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Coaches Poll. The Chanticleers received 12 first-place votes and totaled 194 points.
2026 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll (First-Place Votes)
1. Coastal Carolina (12) – 194
2. Southern Miss (1) – 182
3. Troy – 166
4. Marshall – 129
5. Louisiana (1) – 126
6. Texas State – 114
T7. Georgia Southern – 104
T7. Old Dominion – 104
9. Arkansas State – 96
10. App State – 78
11. South Alabama – 62
12. Georgia State – 49
13. James Madison – 48
14. ULM – 18
The preseason recognition follows a historic 2025 campaign for Coastal Carolina, which saw the Chanticleers capture both the Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament championships, post a program-record 56 wins, and advance to the College World Series Finals.
Coastal Carolina opens the 2026 season at home against Fairfield on Friday, Feb. 13, at Springs Brooks Stadium.
