Baseball Picked Seventh in SLIAC Preseason Poll
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference released its preseason poll for baseball ahead of the 2026 season. Eureka was selected seventh with 24 points following a vote by the league's head coaches.
Webster topped the poll with 64 points and eight first-place votes, while Spalding followed closely behind in second with 55 points and one first-place vote. MUW was picked third with 49 points, followed by Lyon in fourth with 41 points. Westminster earned fifth with 38 points, just ahead of Greenville in sixth with 30 points. Eureka slotted in seventh with 24 points, finishing ahead of Blackburn (12 points) and Principia (11 points).
Eureka enters the 2026 campaign under the direction of Head Coach Noah Suarez, who begins his third season leading the Red Devils. Last season, Eureka finished as the No. 6 seed in the SLIAC Tournament before falling to Spalding in the opening round. The Red Devils posted a 13-25 overall record and went 8-10 in conference play.
The Red Devils return a strong core from last year's squad, highlighted by reigning SLIAC Freshman of the Year Conor Fitzpatrick, who hit .337 with 22 RBIs and 13 stolen bases during his freshman season. On the mound, Eureka brings back Third Team All-Conference selection Emilio Villanueva, who posted a 1.57 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in his first season with the program. Noah Company, Ben Perrine, Hayden McKenna, Joshua Frenden, and Gabe Peters also return and are expected to take on expanded roles while providing veteran leadership.
Eureka will also rely on a promising group of transfers, including Camden Smith, Montrez West, Griffin Klein, Nate Cooley, Alex Benavides, and Dylan Smith, who are all expected to make an immediate impact.
The Red Devils open the 2026 season on Friday, Feb. 28 with a neutral-site game against Carroll, hosted by Rockford University. Eureka will face Rockford later that day before closing the opening weekend with a doubleheader against the hosts on Saturday, Mar. 1.
2026 Preseason SLIAC Baseball Poll (First-place votes)
- Webster – 64 (8)
- Spalding – 55 (1)
- MUW – 49
- Lyon – 41
- Westminster – 38
- Greenville – 30
- Eureka – 24
- Blackburn – 12
- Principia – 11