ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – In what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in conference history, Cal Lutheran University baseball has been picked fourth in the 2026 SCIAC Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and announced on Thursday.

The Kingsmen totaled 55 points after finishing 16-8 in conference play a season ago, part of a tightly packed upper tier that saw the SCIAC title undecided until the final day of the regular season. CLU finished just two games back of regular-season champion La Verne and tied with both Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer in league play.

CMS and Pomona shared the top spot in the poll with 70 points apiece, followed closely by La Verne with 69 points and three first-place votes, highlighting the narrow margins separating the conference's contenders. Cal Lutheran slotted just behind the preseason favorites and ahead of Redlands (43), Chapman (39), Whittier (29), Occidental (19), and Caltech (11).

The Purple & Gold, ranked No. 30 in the ABCA Preseason Poll, return key All-SCIAC contributors and look to build on back-to-back SCIAC Tournament championships in 2022 and 2023 as they navigate another stacked conference slate.

Cal Lutheran opens the 2026 season with a pair of home preseason series against McMurry and Pacific Lutheran before beginning SCIAC play on the road against Caltech on February 20.

2026 SCIAC Baseball Preseason Poll