WASHINGTON – Rhode Island has been tabbed as the preseason favorite for the 2026 Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball season, according to the preseason poll conducted by the league’s 12 head coaches and released on Friday.
 
The Rams garnered 136 points in the poll with five first-place votes. Rhody is the defending Atlantic 10 champion after finishing claiming the regular season with a 23-8 record and a 39-20 mark overall. Rhode Island then topped Davidson, Saint Louis and George Mason to win its third A-10 title
 
George Mason was picked second in the poll with 122 points and four first-place votes. The Patriots were 20-10 in league play last year, finishing second in the standings and were the runners-up in the championship final. GM finished with a 40-21 overall record.
 
Saint Joseph’s and Saint Louis tied for third with 98 points each, and the Hawks received one first-place vote. SJU was 17-13 in league play last year and 24-28 overall. The Billikens, the 2024 regular season champion, finished with a 18-12 record in the A-10 in 2025 and 33-26 overall.
 
Dayton and Richmond also tied with 83 poll points, good for fifth place. The Flyers pulled in one first place vote and were 27-31 overall last year and 14-16 in conference action. The Spiders also finished 14-16 in the A-10 in 2025 and were 33-19 overall.
 
Davidson is seventh in the poll with 71 point, and VCU, the 2024 champions, was eighth with 71 points and a first-place vote.  The Wildcats were 19-12 in league play, finishing third and 28-29 in all games last season while VCU was 17-38 overall and 10-21 in the A-10.
 
George Washington was ninth with 68 points, and Fordham had 56 points to place 10^th. St. Bonaventure (24) and La Salle (20) rounded out the poll. La Salle resurrected its baseball program after a three-year hiatus.
 
The 2026 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship will be played at the state-of-the-art Capital One Park in Tysons, Va. The six-team, double elimination tournament begins May 20 and the A-10 will crown its champion on May 23.
 
2026 Baseball Predicted Order of Finish
(Number of first place votes in parenthesis)
1. Rhode Island – 136 (5)
2. George Mason – 122 (4)
3. Saint Joseph’s – 98 (1)
    Saint Louis – 98
5. Dayton – 83 (1)
    Richmond – 83
7.  Davidson -- 77
8.  VCU – 71 (1)
9.  George Washington -- 68
10. Fordham -- 56
11. St. Bonaventure -- 24
12. La Salle -- 20