UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky enters the upcoming season carrying substantial expectations, potentially as the top overall selection in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft. Before pursuing a professional career, the Bruins’ standout aims to guide his team back to the College World Series for a second straight year. Cholowsky’s exceptional talent has been formally recognized with the USA TODAY Network College Baseball Preseason Player of the Year award, garnering near-unanimous selection as the first-team shortstop.
LSU’s Jay Johnson earned the nod as Preseason Coach of the Year, building on his success in leading the Tigers to their eighth national championship. Completing the major preseason honors, Mississippi State pitcher Jack Bauer was named the USA TODAY Network’s Preseason Freshman of the Year.
The Southeastern Conference dominated the All-American selections with four players represented, followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference with three, and the Big 12 Conference with two.
Below is the complete USA TODAY Sports Network Preseason All-American Team:
USA TODAY College Baseball Preseason All-American Team
C Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech: Lackey distinguished himself as one of the nation’s premier catchers last season, posting a .347/.421/.500 slash line with a team-best 77 hits, showcasing unique athleticism and leading all Division I catchers with 18 successful stolen bases in 21 attempts.
1B Brady Ballinger, Kansas: Ballinger spearheaded the Jayhawks’ offense in 2025, leading the team in batting average (.353), walks (56), slugging percentage (.670), on-base percentage (.495), OPS (1.165), runs scored (71), hits (79), doubles (21), total bases (150), multi-hit games (24), and multi-walk games (16).
2B Chris Rembert, Auburn: Rembert became the first Auburn freshman since 2008 to achieve All-SEC recognition, delivering a .344/.467/.555 batting line with 14 doubles, 10 home runs, and 46 RBIs, demonstrating an exceptional plate approach with 37 walks compared to 36 strikeouts.
SS Roch Cholowsky, UCLA: Following a 2025 season where he was named National Player of the Year by four different organizations, Cholowsky led the Bruins in batting average (.353), home runs (23), total bases (179), slugging percentage (.710), on-base percentage (.480), hits (89), and runs scored (80).
3B Ace Reese, Mississippi State: After transferring from Houston, Reese quickly became a key player for the Bulldogs in 2025, hitting 21 home runs with a .352 batting average, ranking third in the SEC in slugging percentage (.718) and fifth in OPS (1.140).
OF Derek Curiel, LSU: Curiel started every game as a freshman, leading the team with a .345 batting average, 20 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 55 RBIs, and 67 runs, playing a pivotal role in LSU’s 2025 College World Series victory.
OF Drew Burress, Georgia Tech: Burress was the sole player in a Power Four conference in 2025 to record at least 60 RBIs (62), 20 doubles (23), 50 walks (53), 15 home runs (19), and 70 runs (77), maintaining a career slugging percentage exceeding .750 (.756).
OF Lucas Moore, Louisville: Moore’s exceptional speed was on display with 53 stolen bases in 54 attempts, alongside a .341 batting average, 10 doubles, three triples, and five home runs, contributing significantly to the Cardinals’ College World Series run.
UTIL Evan Dempsey, Florida Gulf Coast: Dempsey earned First Team All-ASUN honors as a starting pitcher and a second-team selection as an outfielder, posting a 1.97 ERA in 68⅔ innings while leading FGCU with 71 hits and 18 doubles.
SP Cameron Flukey, Coastal Carolina: The 6-6 right-hander registered 118 strikeouts in 101⅔ innings, leading the Chanticleers to the College World Series final with a 7-2 record, 3.19 ERA, and allowing only three earned runs in 10 innings of work in Omaha.
SP Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss: Elliott overcame injury setbacks to excel in 2025, achieving a 2.94 ERA with a 10-3 record and 102 strikeouts in 85⅔ innings, while holding opposing hitters to a .197 batting average.
SP Dax Whitney, Oregon State: A consensus First Team Freshman All-American, Whitney went 6-3 with a 3.40 ERA, striking out 120 batters in 76⅔ innings and limiting opponents to a .216 batting average with a 1.28 WHIP.
RP Tony Pluta, Arizona: The only senior on the team, Pluta recorded 14 saves in 30 appearances, compiling a remarkable 1.46 ERA across 37 innings and holding opposing hitters to a .219 average.
USA TODAY College Baseball Preseason Awards
College Baseball Preseason Player of the Year: Roch Cholowsky, UCLA College Baseball Preseason Coach of the Year: Jay Johnson, LSU College Baseball Preseason Freshman of the Year: Jack Bauer, Mississippi State
The All-American team was selected by a voting panel including Andrew Abadie (Gainesville Sun), Adam Cole (Montgomery Advertiser), Cory Diaz (The Daily Advertiser), Jackson Fuller (Southwest Times Record), Aria Gerson (The Tennessean), Liam Rooney (Tallahassee Democrat), Sam Hutchens (Clarion Ledger), Sam Sklar (Clarion Ledger), Colton Sulley (The Oklahoman), and Don Williams (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal).
