2026 NCAF baseball season
| 2026 NCAF baseball season | |
| League | National Collegiate Athletic Federation |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | February 20 – June 24, 2026 |
| Number of teams | 40 |
| TV partner(s) | ESN |
| Streaming partner(s) | ESN+ |
| Regular season | |
| Blackoak | |
| Season MVP | Jackson Whitfield |
| National championship | |
| College Apollonian Series | |
| Champions | Blackoak |
| Runners-up | Pentucky |
The 2026 NCAF baseball season was the 2026 season of college baseball organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Federation (NCAF), the governing body of collegiate athletics in Floria. The season began on February 20, 2026, and concluded on June 24, 2026, with the final game of the 2026 NCAF College Apollonian Series.
A total of 40 universities participated, divided into four conferences of ten teams each. Teams played a 50-game regular season, followed by conference tournaments and the 32-team national championship tournament.
The University of Blackoak won the national championship, defeating the University of Pentucky two games to one in the best-of-three championship series. Blackoak secured the title with a 6–4 victory in the deciding third game.
Blackoak also won the Big South Conference regular-season championship and conference tournament, completing a conference and national championship treble.
Pentucky first baseman Jackson Whitfield was named the NCAF National Player of the Year, while Blackoak pitcher Ethan Mercer received the National Pitcher of the Year award. Blackoak outfielder Caleb Foster was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
Season format
Regular season
The 2026 season featured 40 baseball programmes competing across four conferences:
- Big South Conference (10 teams)
- FLO-12 Conference (10 teams)
- Southeastern Conference (10 teams)
- Frontier Conference (10 teams)
Each university played 50 regular-season games, including 27 conference games.
Conference standings were determined by conference winning percentage, with the leading university in each conference recognised as the regular-season champion.
Conference tournaments
The top eight universities in each conference qualified for their respective postseason conference tournaments. Each tournament consisted of quarterfinals, semifinals and a championship game. The four tournament champions received automatic qualification for the national championship tournament.
National championship
The national championship field consisted of 32 universities, including four automatic qualifiers and 28 at-large selections. The postseason was contested in three stages:
- Regionals: Sixteen best-of-three series involving 32 teams.
- Super Regionals: Eight best-of-three series involving the 16 regional winners.
- College Apollonian Series: Eight universities competing in two double-elimination brackets, followed by a best-of-three national championship series.
The College Apollonian Series was held in Northcliff, marking the city's first hosting of the event.
Regular season
Conference standings
The following tables show the final regular-season standings. Conference records were used to determine conference positions, while overall records include nonconference games.
Big South Conference
| Pos | University | Conference | Overall | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackoak | 21–6 | 40–10 | .800 |
| 2 | Northsilver | 20–7 | 39–11 | .780 |
| 3 | Dragonmoor | 19–8 | 37–13 | .740 |
| 4 | Stonehall | 17–10 | 35–15 | .700 |
| 5 | Oldhaven | 15–12 | 31–19 | .620 |
| 6 | Southland State | 14–13 | 30–20 | .600 |
| 7 | Ontario State | 11–16 | 26–24 | .520 |
| 8 | Vice City Metropolitan | 9–18 | 23–27 | .460 |
| 9 | Dragonmoor St. Clements | 6–21 | 19–31 | .380 |
| 10 | Oldhaven Polytechnic | 3–24 | 14–36 | .280 |
FLO-12 Conference
| Pos | University | Conference | Overall | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westlake | 22–5 | 39–11 | .780 |
| 2 | UC Las Andreas | 20–7 | 37–13 | .740 |
| 3 | Kingsland State | 18–9 | 35–15 | .700 |
| 4 | Northcliff | 17–10 | 33–17 | .660 |
| 5 | Havenbarrow | 15–12 | 30–20 | .600 |
| 6 | Meadowedge | 13–14 | 27–23 | .540 |
| 7 | Newmarsh | 11–16 | 25–25 | .500 |
| 8 | Kingsland A&M | 9–18 | 22–28 | .440 |
| 9 | Northcliff Tech | 7–20 | 18–32 | .360 |
| 10 | Northcliff St. Anne | 3–24 | 13–37 | .260 |
Southeastern Conference
| Pos | University | Conference | Overall | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pentucky | 21–6 | 40–10 | .800 |
| 2 | San Alexandria State | 20–7 | 39–11 | .780 |
| 3 | Port Richard | 18–9 | 35–15 | .700 |
| 4 | Pentucky A&M | 17–10 | 34–16 | .680 |
| 5 | Eastern State | 16–11 | 32–18 | .640 |
| 6 | Navy | 13–14 | 27–23 | .540 |
| 7 | Diamond Harbour Polytechnic | 11–16 | 25–25 | .500 |
| 8 | Air Force | 9–18 | 22–28 | .440 |
| 9 | Army | 7–20 | 18–32 | .360 |
| 10 | Temple Islands | 3–24 | 13–37 | .260 |
Frontier Conference
| Pos | University | Conference | Overall | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria State | 22–5 | 38–12 | .760 |
| 2 | Eastham | 20–7 | 35–15 | .700 |
| 3 | Ontario Nazarene | 18–9 | 33–17 | .660 |
| 4 | Kingsland Tech | 17–10 | 31–19 | .620 |
| 5 | Pentucky Tech | 15–12 | 29–21 | .580 |
| 6 | Southern Ontario | 13–14 | 27–23 | .540 |
| 7 | Sri Alba | 11–16 | 24–26 | .480 |
| 8 | Wellingdon | 9–18 | 21–29 | .420 |
| 9 | Northcliff Nazarene | 7–20 | 17–33 | .340 |
| 10 | Southland Nazarene | 3–24 | 12–38 | .240 |
Conference tournaments
The four conference tournaments took place from May 20 to May 24, 2026.
Big South tournament
The Big South tournament was held in Dragonmoor.
| Round | Winning team | Score | Losing team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | Blackoak | 9–2 | Vice City Metropolitan |
| Quarterfinal | Northsilver | 7–3 | Ontario State |
| Quarterfinal | Dragonmoor | 6–4 | Southland State |
| Quarterfinal | Stonehall | 5–3 | Oldhaven |
| Semifinal | Blackoak | 6–2 | Stonehall |
| Semifinal | Northsilver | 8–5 | Dragonmoor |
| Final | Blackoak | 5–3 | Northsilver |
FLO-12 tournament
The FLO-12 tournament was held in Northcliff.
| Round | Winning team | Score | Losing team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | Westlake | 10–4 | Kingsland A&M |
| Quarterfinal | UC Las Andreas | 8–2 | Newmarsh |
| Quarterfinal | Kingsland State | 6–3 | Meadowedge |
| Quarterfinal | Northcliff | 5–4 | Havenbarrow |
| Semifinal | Westlake | 7–2 | Northcliff |
| Semifinal | UC Las Andreas | 9–6 | Kingsland State |
| Final | UC Las Andreas | 8–7 | Westlake |
SEC tournament
The SEC tournament was held in Pentucky.
| Round | Winning team | Score | Losing team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | Pentucky | 11–3 | Air Force |
| Quarterfinal | San Alexandria State | 8–1 | Diamond Harbour Polytechnic |
| Quarterfinal | Port Richard | 6–4 | Navy |
| Quarterfinal | Pentucky A&M | 7–5 | Eastern State |
| Semifinal | Pentucky | 9–5 | Pentucky A&M |
| Semifinal | San Alexandria State | 6–2 | Port Richard |
| Final | San Alexandria State | 7–5 | Pentucky |
Frontier tournament
The Frontier tournament was held in Victoria.
| Round | Winning team | Score | Losing team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | Victoria State | 8–1 | Wellingdon |
| Quarterfinal | Eastham | 6–2 | Sri Alba |
| Quarterfinal | Ontario Nazarene | 5–3 | Southern Ontario |
| Quarterfinal | Kingsland Tech | 7–4 | Pentucky Tech |
| Semifinal | Victoria State | 4–2 | Kingsland Tech |
| Semifinal | Eastham | 7–6 | Ontario Nazarene |
| Final | Victoria State | 6–5 (10) | Eastham |
Conference champions
| Conference | Regular-season champion | Tournament champion |
|---|---|---|
| Big South | Blackoak | Blackoak |
| FLO-12 | Westlake | UC Las Andreas |
| SEC | Pentucky | San Alexandria State |
| Frontier | Victoria State | Victoria State |
National championship tournament
Selection Sunday
The 32-team national championship field was announced on May 24, 2026.
The tournament featured 16 nationally seeded universities, each assigned to a regional site.
National seeds
| Seed | University | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackoak | Big South |
| 2 | Pentucky | SEC |
| 3 | San Alexandria State | SEC |
| 4 | Northsilver | Big South |
| 5 | Westlake | FLO-12 |
| 6 | Victoria State | Frontier |
| 7 | UC Las Andreas | FLO-12 |
| 8 | Dragonmoor | Big South |
| 9 | Stonehall | Big South |
| 10 | Kingsland State | FLO-12 |
| 11 | Port Richard | SEC |
| 12 | Eastham | Frontier |
| 13 | Pentucky A&M | SEC |
| 14 | Northcliff | FLO-12 |
| 15 | Ontario Nazarene | Frontier |
| 16 | Temple Islands | SEC |
Regional round
The regional round took place from May 29 to May 31.
| Regional | Matchup | Series | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackoak | (1) Blackoak vs Navy | 2–0 | Blackoak |
| Pentucky | (2) Pentucky vs Southern Ontario | 2–0 | Pentucky |
| San Alexandria | (3) San Alexandria State vs Meadowedge | 2–1 | San Alexandria State |
| Northsilver | (4) Northsilver vs Kingsland Tech | 2–0 | Northsilver |
| Westlake | (5) Westlake vs Diamond Harbour Polytechnic | 2–1 | Westlake |
| Victoria | (6) Victoria State vs Southland State | 2–0 | Victoria State |
| Las Andreas | (7) UC Las Andreas vs Pentucky Tech | 2–1 | UC Las Andreas |
| Dragonmoor | (8) Dragonmoor vs Newmarsh | 2–0 | Dragonmoor |
| Stonehall | (9) Stonehall vs Ontario State | 2–1 | Stonehall |
| Kingsland | (10) Kingsland State vs Havenbarrow | 2–0 | Kingsland State |
| Port Richard | (11) Port Richard vs Oldhaven | 1–2 | Oldhaven |
| Eastham | (12) Eastham vs Army | 2–0 | Eastham |
| Pentucky A&M | (13) Pentucky A&M vs Sri Alba | 2–1 | Pentucky A&M |
| Northcliff | (14) Northcliff vs Eastern State | 1–2 | Eastern State |
| Ontario Nazarene | (15) Ontario Nazarene vs Vice City Metropolitan | 2–0 | Ontario Nazarene |
| Southern Ontario | (16) Temple Islands vs Air Force | 1–2 | Air Force |
Oldhaven produced one of the tournament's largest upsets by eliminating 11th-seeded Port Richard. The deciding game ended 9–8 in extra innings.
Air Force also advanced after defeating Temple Islands, becoming the lowest-ranked university remaining in the tournament.
Super Regionals
The Super Regionals were contested from June 5 to June 7.
| Matchup | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Series winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackoak vs Air Force | 8–2 | 6–1 | — | Blackoak (2–0) |
| Dragonmoor vs Stonehall | 5–3 | 3–7 | 6–4 | Dragonmoor (2–1) |
| Northsilver vs Pentucky A&M | 4–2 | 7–5 | — | Northsilver (2–0) |
| Westlake vs Ontario Nazarene | 9–3 | 6–4 | — | Westlake (2–0) |
| San Alexandria State vs Oldhaven | 7–1 | 5–2 | — | San Alexandria State (2–0) |
| Victoria State vs Kingsland State | 4–6 | 8–3 | 5–4 | Victoria State (2–1) |
| UC Las Andreas vs Eastham | 8–5 | 3–6 | 10–7 | UC Las Andreas (2–1) |
| Pentucky vs Eastern State | 6–2 | 4–1 | — | Pentucky (2–0) |
Eight universities advanced to the College Apollonian Series:
- Blackoak
- Dragonmoor
- Northsilver
- Westlake
- San Alexandria State
- Victoria State
- UC Las Andreas
- Pentucky
College Apollonian Series
The 2026 NCAF College Apollonian Series was held in Northcliff from June 12 to June 24, 2026.
The eight participating universities were divided into two double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket advanced to the best-of-three national championship series.
Bracket A
| Game | Winning team | Score | Losing team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackoak | 7–3 | Westlake |
| 2 | Northsilver | 6–4 | Dragonmoor |
| 3 | Dragonmoor | 8–5 | Westlake |
| 4 | Blackoak | 5–2 | Northsilver |
| 5 | Northsilver | 7–6 | Dragonmoor |
| 6 | Blackoak | 4–3 | Northsilver |
Bracket winner: Blackoak (3–0)
Blackoak advanced undefeated through Bracket A. In its final game against Northsilver, freshman outfielder Caleb Foster hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to overturn a 3–2 deficit.
Bracket B
| Game | Winning team | Score | Losing team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pentucky | 8–4 | UC Las Andreas |
| 2 | San Alexandria State | 6–2 | Victoria State |
| 3 | Victoria State | 5–3 | UC Las Andreas |
| 4 | Pentucky | 7–6 | San Alexandria State |
| 5 | San Alexandria State | 9–4 | Victoria State |
| 6 | Pentucky | 5–2 | San Alexandria State |
Bracket winner: Pentucky (3–0)
Pentucky advanced to the national championship series undefeated. First baseman Jackson Whitfield hit three home runs during bracket play.
National championship series
The national championship series was contested between Blackoak and Pentucky from June 22 to June 24.
| Date | Game | Winner | Score | Loser | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 22 | 1 | Blackoak | 5–3 | Pentucky | Blackoak 1–0 |
| June 23 | 2 | Pentucky | 8–4 | Blackoak | Tied 1–1 |
| June 24 | 3 | Blackoak | 6–4 | Pentucky | Blackoak 2–1 |
Game 1
Blackoak defeated Pentucky 5–3 in the opening game of the championship series.
Blackoak starting pitcher Ethan Mercer threw seven scoreless innings before Pentucky mounted a late rally. Closer Ryan Hayes secured the save.
Game 2
Pentucky responded with an 8–4 victory to level the series.
Jackson Whitfield drove in five runs, including a home run, to force a deciding third game.
Game 3
The championship decider took place on June 24.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackoak | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Pentucky | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
The game was tied 3–3 entering the seventh inning.
Blackoak outfielder Caleb Foster hit a three-run home run to give his university a 6–3 advantage.
Pentucky reduced the deficit to 6–4 in the eighth inning, but Ryan Hayes retired the final three batters in the ninth to secure the championship.
Blackoak won the series 2–1 and claimed the national title.
Final College Apollonian Series standings
| Finish | University | CWS record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackoak | 5–1 |
| 2 | Pentucky | 4–2 |
| 3= | Northsilver | 2–2 |
| 3= | San Alexandria State | 2–2 |
| 5= | Dragonmoor | 1–2 |
| 5= | Victoria State | 1–2 |
| 7= | Westlake | 0–2 |
| 7= | UC Las Andreas | 0–2 |
Awards and honours
National awards
| Award | Recipient | University |
|---|---|---|
| NCAF Baseball Player of the Year | Jackson Whitfield | Pentucky |
| NCAF Baseball Pitcher of the Year | Ethan Mercer | Blackoak |
| NCAF Baseball Coach of the Year | Thomas Callahan | Blackoak |
| NCAF Baseball Freshman of the Year | Caleb Foster | Blackoak |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Daniel Kerr | Victoria State |
| Relief Pitcher of the Year | Ryan Hayes | Blackoak |
| Two-Way Player of the Year | Marcus Bennett | Northsilver |
| College Apollonian Series Most Outstanding Player | Caleb Foster | Blackoak |
All-NCAF First Team
| Position | Player | University |
|---|---|---|
| C | Mason Brooks | San Alexandria State |
| 1B | Jackson Whitfield | Pentucky |
| 2B | Oliver Grant | Westlake |
| 3B | Cameron Price | Northsilver |
| SS | Daniel Kerr | Victoria State |
| OF | Caleb Foster | Blackoak |
| OF | Elijah Turner | UC Las Andreas |
| OF | Nathan Cole | Dragonmoor |
| DH | Lucas Bennett | Pentucky A&M |
| SP | Ethan Mercer | Blackoak |
| SP | Tyler Rhodes | San Alexandria State |
| SP | Marcus Bennett | Northsilver |
| RP | Ryan Hayes | Blackoak |
Statistical leaders
Batting
| Category | Player | University | Statistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batting average | Cameron Price | Northsilver | .402 |
| Home runs | Jackson Whitfield | Pentucky | 26 |
| Runs batted in | Jackson Whitfield | Pentucky | 84 |
| Stolen bases | Elijah Turner | UC Las Andreas | 39 |
| Hits | Oliver Grant | Westlake | 91 |
| On-base percentage | Mason Brooks | San Alexandria State | .491 |
Pitching
| Category | Player | University | Statistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | Ethan Mercer | Blackoak | 14 |
| Earned run average | Ethan Mercer | Blackoak | 2.18 |
| Strikeouts | Tyler Rhodes | San Alexandria State | 171 |
| Saves | Ryan Hayes | Blackoak | 19 |
| WHIP | Marcus Bennett | Northsilver | 0.94 |
Final national rankings
The following table shows the final NCAF Coaches Poll following the conclusion of the College Apollonian Series.
| Rank | University | Conference | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackoak | Big South | 53–11 |
| 2 | Pentucky | SEC | 50–13 |
| 3 | Northsilver | Big South | 47–14 |
| 4 | San Alexandria State | SEC | 48–14 |
| 5 | Dragonmoor | Big South | 44–16 |
| 6 | Victoria State | Frontier | 46–16 |
| 7 | Westlake | FLO-12 | 45–15 |
| 8 | UC Las Andreas | FLO-12 | 46–17 |
| 9 | Stonehall | Big South | 38–18 |
| 10 | Kingsland State | FLO-12 | 38–18 |
| 11 | Eastham | Frontier | 39–18 |
| 12 | Pentucky A&M | SEC | 37–19 |
| 13 | Oldhaven | Big South | 34–21 |
| 14 | Eastern State | SEC | 34–21 |
| 15 | Ontario Nazarene | Frontier | 36–20 |
| 16 | Port Richard | SEC | 36–18 |
