SEARCY, Ark. – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its 2026 preseason Central Region rankings and All-Region teams Tuesday, with Harding earning a top-10 regional ranking and two individual honors.

The Bisons will enter the 2026 campaign ranked No. 6 in the Central Region, following a historic 2025 season that saw the program claim its first Great American Conference (GAC) Tournament title and advance to the NCAA Regional finals.

Harding is one of four GAC programs represented in the regional top 10, joining Arkansas Tech (No. 4), Southern Arkansas (No. 8), and Henderson State (No. 10). Central Missouri claimed the top spot in the poll as the unanimous No. 1 selection with all 10 first-place votes.

Individually, the Bisons were led by senior third baseman Logan Lacey and senior catcher Collin Helms, both of whom were named to the Preseason All-Central Region Team.

Lacey, a senior from North Richland Hills, Texas, was one of only two players in the region to be designated as a unanimous selection. He returns to the Bisons' lineup after a 2025 season in which he blasted 19 home runs and led the GAC with 70 runs scored.

Helms, a senior from Lawrenceville, Georgia, earns the nod as the region's premier catcher. A key defensive anchor and offensive threat, Helms was a vital component of the 2025 squad that finished with 41 wins and a No. 30 national ranking.

The Central Region is comprised of members from the Great American Conference, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

Harding opens the 2026 season this Monday, Feb. 2 against Delta State in Millington, Tennessee.

NCBWA Preseason Central Region Poll

Receiving Votes: St. Cloud State (7), Arkansas-Monticello (2), Washburn (1).