Cal State Monterey Bay has been selected as the unanimous favorite in the 2026 CCAA Coaches Preseason Poll. The Otters earned 81 points and all nine first-place votes.
 
Chico State came in second in the poll with 61 points. Only two points separated third and fourth place. Cal State Dominguez Hills finished third with 58 points, and Cal Poly Pomona was fourth with 56 points.
 

2026 CCAA Baseball Preseason Poll
Cal State Monterey Bay (9)	81
Chico State	61
Cal State Dominguez Hills	58
Cal Poly Pomona	56
Cal State San Marcos	49
Cal State LA	34
Cal State San Bernardino	32
Cal State East Bay	24
Stanislaus State	10
first-place votes in parenthesis

 
Fifth place went to Cal State San Marcos with 49 points. Two points was also the difference between sixth and seventh place. Cal State LA earned the No. 6 spot with 34 points, and Cal State San Bernardino was seventh with 32 points. Cal State East Bay and Stanislaus State round out the poll with 24 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Cal State Monterey Bay
The Otters have won three consecutive CCAA Tournaments and the last four CCAA regular-season titles. Last year, CSUMB went 39-19 and edged out CSUDH and SFSU by one game for the regular-season championship with a 26-14 CCAA record. It won its NCAA Regional pod and reached the NCAA Super Regional for the third straight year. The Otters paced the CCAA in fielding percentage (.974) and earned run average (4.81) last year.
 
Chico State
The Wildcats went 31-22 last season and earned the No. 5 seed in the CCAA Tournament, winning two games and reaching the semifinals. Chico led the CCAA and ranked 13th in NCAA Div. II with 46 double plays turned. It was also second in the CCAA in ERA (4.91), and third in both WHIP (1.49) and fielding percentage (.973).
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills
The Toros put together their best conference finish since 2010, finishing tied for second in the standings with a 25-15 CCAA record (29-22 overall). Three members of the 2026 CCAA Watchlist return for CSUDH this season. Nigel Buckley will be back behind the plate with Quinn Johnson in the infield and Julian Castro on the mound. Last season, the Toros were one of the top hitting teams in the CCAA, posting 63 home runs and 330 runs scored (both fourth in the conference).

Cal Poly Pomona
Last year, the Broncos missed the CCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013, finishing with a 12-28 conference record. They struggled on the road, going just 4-19, but things are expected to turn around for CPP in 2026, as it was picked fourth in the preseason poll. Coach Randy Betten has reloaded his roster in search of another postseason bid.
 
Cal State San Marcos
The Cougars earned the final spot in the CCAA Tournament on the final day of the regular season, defeating CSUSB in a de facto play-in game. CSUSM ranked fourth in the CCAA in scoring (6.6 runs per game), and its pitching staff was second in strikeouts per nine innings (7.9).
 
Cal State LA
The Golden Eagles put together their best season since 2018, finishing fourth in the CCAA standings at 23-17. Cal State LA will return two all-conference selections on the mound with junior Brandon Gutierrez and the 2025 CCAA Freshman of the Year Ismael Quintero. Last year, Cal State LA was fourth in the CCAA in ERA (5.70) and second in double plays turned (43).
 
Cal State San Bernardino
The Coyotes were once again among the best-hitting teams in the conference. They led the CCAA in batting average (.338), runs per game (9.1), and on-base percentage (.437). CSUSB went 29-21 and 21-19 in the CCAA in 2025. Outfielder Jeremy Giesegh represents the Coyotes on the 2026 CCAA Baseball Watchlist.
 
Cal State East Bay (24 points) and Stanislaus State (10) complete the preseason poll.
 
The first pitch of the 2026 season is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 30. Cal State East Bay will open its season in Florida, and Cal State LA will be in Hawaii. The other seven will all be playing in California. All CCAA home games will be available on FloCollege.
 
FloCollege is your home for CCAA coverage all season long. Stream every game live or go back and watch anytime on demand. Visit goccaa.org/flocollege to sign up today.