RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Following a historic 2025 campaign that saw the program capture its first-ever Great American Conference Tournament championship, the Harding baseball team has been picked to finish second in the 2026 GAC Preseason Coaches Poll, released Tuesday by the league office.
The Bisons received five first-place votes, finishing just behind preseason favorite Arkansas Tech, which collected six first-place votes.
Harding enters the 2026 season looking to build on a landmark year. In 2025, the Bisons posted a 41-19 record and made their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Central Region Tournament. The season was highlighted by a dominant run through the GAC Tournament, culminating in an 11-0 victory over Henderson State in the championship game—a win that secured the program's first conference tournament title and marked the 700th career victory for head coach Dr. Patrick McGaha.
While the Bisons must replace consensus First-Team All-American and Central Region Pitcher of the Year Maddox Long, the roster returns significant power and experience. Leading the returners is third baseman Logan Lacey, who earned multiple All-Region honors last season. Lacey hit .338 and ranked second in the GAC with 19 home runs. He also drove in 58 runs and led the conference with 70 runs scored. All-GAC catcher Collin Helms also returns to anchor the lineup.
Arkansas Tech, the defending regular-season champion, enters as the favorite after making its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025. The Wonder Boys return three All-GAC selections, including shortstop Cole Dawson, who hit .390, and starting pitcher Daniel Hutchison, who posted a 9-2 record.
Southern Arkansas received one first-place vote to finish third in the poll, despite needing to replace seven All-GAC selections. Henderson State, the 2025 GAC Tournament runner-up, was picked fourth, followed by Arkansas-Monticello in fifth. The GAC was well-represented nationally last season, sending four teams—Harding, Arkansas Tech, Henderson State, and UAM—to the NCAA Tournament.
Ouachita Baptist was picked sixth, followed by Northwestern Oklahoma State, Oklahoma Baptist, Southeastern Oklahoma State and Southwestern Oklahoma State. East Central and Southern Nazarene rounded out the poll.
The 2026 regular season begins on Friday, Jan. 30. The Bisons will look to return to the postseason, with the GAC Championships continuing its two-weekend format starting April 30.
