ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Defending CCAA Champions, Cal State East Bay, have been voted to repeat as conference champions in the 2025-26 CCAA Men's Golf Preseason Poll.
 
The Pioneers received 48 points and six first-place votes to earn the nod as the preseason favorites. Chico State was second in the voting with 33 points, just one point ahead of third-place Cal State Monterey Bay.

 

2025-26 CCAA Men's Golf Preseason Poll
Cal State East Bay (6)	48
Chico State	33
Cal State Monterey Bay	32
Cal State San Bernardino (1)	26
Stanislaus State	24
Cal State San Marcos	20
Cal State Dominguez Hills	13
first-place votes in parentheses

The remaining first-place vote went to Cal State San Bernardino, which placed fourth with 26 points. Stanislaus State placed fifth in the poll with 24 points, and Cal State San Marcos was sixth (20 points). Cal State Dominguez Hills rounded out the poll with 13 points.
 
Cal State East Bay won the program's second CCAA Championship by overcoming a nine-stroke lead in the final round. The Pioneers carried that momentum forward and took third place at the NCAA West/South Central Regional to earn a bid to the NCAA Championships in Florida. The Pioneers will bring back their top four finishers from the conference championships, including 2025 CCAA Individual Champion Cooper Groshart. CSUEB will also bring back three-time All-CCAA selection Easton Hether, 2025 All-CCAA selection Oscar Blomqvist, and Peyton Hendricks. They added three transfers, including Cambron Nevill, who represented Sonoma State in the NCAA Championships as an individual.
 
After placing fifth at the 2025 CCAA Championships, the coaches are expecting Chico State to bounce back this season. Four of the Wildcats' top 5 golfers, including the 2024-25 CCAA Newcomer of the Year, Giuseppe Aliotti, return this season. He will be joined by All-CCAA selection Naoki Easterday, Cooper Hambrick, Giuliano Kaminiski, and others. Last year, the Wildcats made their eighth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regional.
 
Cal State Monterey Bay is expected to bring back just one member from last year's starting lineup at the CCAA Championships. Colin Huang will return for the Otters after he tied for eighth at the championships and the team took second. CSUMB earned a bid to the West/South Central Regional as the No. 2 seed from the West.
 
Cal State San Bernardino garnered one first-place vote and finished fourth in the poll with 26 points. The Coyotes then placed fifth at the NCAA Regional to earn the program's first trip to the NCAA Championships since 2009—three of the five golfers from that regional lineup return. Jetty Sivongsay and Aaron Parayno will be joined by Tyler Price, the 2024-25 CCAA Freshman of the Year.
 
Stanislaus State will have to replace three of its five starters from its CCAA Championship lineup, and one that made the NCAA Regional for the fifth consecutive season. Junior Ricky Sullivan and senior Chase Bird are back to lead the Warriors.
 
Cal State San Marcos also earned a postseason bid last year, as it qualified for the NCAA Regional. Nick Mouser is the only returning starter from the CCAA Championships.
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills will bring back three starters.
 
The 2025-26 men's golf season begins on Monday, Sept. 15.

 

2025-26 CCAA Men's Golf Watchlist
Name	Year	School
Naoki Easterday	Sr.	Chico State
Easton Hether	Sr.	Cal State East Bay
Oscar Blomqvist	Jr.	Cal State East Bay
Tyler Price	So.	Cal State San Bernardino
Giuseppe Aliotti	Sr.	Chico State