HADDONFIELD, N.J. – Marymount has been tabbed, nearly unanimously, as the preseason favorite in the 2026 Atlantic East Baseball Preseason Poll. Voted on by the coaches, the Saints received six first place votes, totaling 36 points.

After winning the 2025 conference championship, its first since 2021, Marymount returns to the diamond with another ring in mind. The Saints went 11-4 in conference play, bowing out in the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament in two close contests. Head Coach Mike Cassidy enters his fifth year at the helm, having developed eight All-Conference selections alone in 2025. Of the eight, only two return- Quincy Via and Ryan Cuadros, both of whom are in their senior season. Via started and played 43 games for the Saints, batting .331% with 50 hits and 26 runs batted in, while also posting a nearly perfect .985 fielding percentage. Cuadros fielded perfectly, not recording a single error on the year. Inside the box, he hit .358%, recording 54 hits and 40 RBI’s, all while stealing seven bases.

Neumann landed second in the poll, receiving one first place vote with 31 total points. The Knights boasted a strong 27-13 record last year, going 11-4 against conference opponents, before falling to Marymount in the championship game. Scott Grimes, the 2025 Coach of the Year, begins his seventh season at Neumann this spring. Anthony Rakotz, a Second Team All-Conference selection last season, returns for his junior year. Rakotz batted .352% in 2025 thanks to 56 hits. He also batted in 35 runs and stole 12 bases across his 39 games played.

The Cyclones of Centenary received 24 total points, placing them third in the poll. Andrew Romanella, who begins his fourth year as the head coach, led the Cyclones to an 8-7 conference record in 2025, losing to the fourth seeded Immaculata in game three of conference playoffs. Second Team All-Conference 2025 pick Dominick Chiego will hope to continue his dominance at the plate after batting .366% last year. Starting 41 games, he posted 53 hits and batted in 44 runs.

Immaculata landed fourth, barely edged out by Centenary, with a total of 23 points. Alex LePage, the 2025 Co-Pitcher of the Year, will lead from the mound in his junior year. Last season, he posted a 3.30 ERA, with a 7-5 record, striking out 75 batters in 71 innings. Another First Team All-Conference selection for the Mighty Macs, Matt Passerini, comes back as a graduate student. In 2025, Passerini batted .384%, batting in 20 runs and recording 48 hits in his 39 games played.

Marywood received 14 points to secure fifth place, with Gwynedd Mercy landed sixth with 11 total points. Rounding out the group of seven, Saint Elizabeth garnered eight points.

Marymount opened non-conference play first, taking on Mary Baldwin University on February 24. Centenary, Gwynedd Mercy, and Saint Elizabeth all begin on Saturday, February 20. Marywood will open its season with midweek action on February 25, with Immaculata and Neumann beginning on February 28.

Conference play begins on Friday, March 20 with Centenary traveling to Saint Elizabeth, Neumann hosting Gwynedd Mercy, and Marymount traveling to Immaculata. Marywood begins conference play on Friday, March 27, heading south to take on Marymount.

The 2026 Atlantic East Tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, May 6, with the following games taking place on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9.

Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Marymount - 36 (6)
2. Neumann - 31 (1) 
3. Centenary - 24 
4. Immaculata - 23 
5. Marywood - 14 
6. Gwynedd Mercy - 11
7. Saint Elizabeth - 8

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