CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Georgia Tech has been selected as the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball preseason favorite by the league’s 16 head coaches.
The Yellow Jackets collected seven of the possible 16 first-place votes from head coaches to garner 237 total points. Just one point separated Georgia Tech and second-place finisher North Carolina, who logged 236 points and six first-place votes. Also earning first place votes were Florida State (one) and Clemson (two).
The Seminoles finished third in the preseason poll, logging 221 points, while Louisville, who represented the ACC in the 2025 Men’s College World Series, finished fourth with 196 points. Clemson’s two first-place votes propelled them to a fifth-place projection, totaling 185 points.
NC State was slotted sixth in the coaches’ poll, with 169 points, just ahead of Virginia, who was projected to finish seventh with 165 points. With 159 points, Miami was picked to finish eighth, while Wake Forest was projected to finish ninth with 145 points.
In its second season in the ACC, Stanford is predicted to finish 10th, garnering 99 total points. Stanford was followed by Virginia Tech (89), Notre Dame (87), Duke (67), Pitt (45), California (41) and Boston College (35).
The ACC has placed at least one team in each of the last 19 College World Series, including Louisville in 2025, and at least six teams in each of the last 21 NCAA tournaments.
All 16 ACC teams will open their seasons on Friday, February 13, with conference play set to begin on Friday, March 6. The 2026 ACC Baseball Championship will be held May 19-24 at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACC Network will be on hand for the first five days of the tournament with ESPN2 set to carry Sunday’s championship game.
Eight ACC baseball teams begin the season in the D1Baseball Preseason Top 25, led by Georgia Tech at No. 4. The Jackets are followed by No. 8 Louisville, No. 11 North Carolina, No. 16 Florida State, No. 17 NC State, No. 19 Clemson, No. 21 Wake Forest and No. 22 Miami.
2026 ACC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
First-place votes in parenthesis
- Georgia Tech, 237 points (7 first-place votes)
- North Carolina, 236 (6)
- Florida State, 221 (1)
- Louisville, 196
- Clemson, 185 (2)
- NC State, 169
- Virginia, 165
- Miami, 159
- Wake Forest, 145
- Stanford, 99
- Virginia Tech, 89
- Notre Dame, 87
- Duke, 67
- Pitt, 45
- California, 41
- Boston College, 35