MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - D3baseball.com and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its 2026 Preseason Top 25 Poll and Penn State Harrisburg is included in the national rankings for the second straight year. 


The Lions begin the 2026 campaign ranked No. 21 in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 Poll, marking the second year in a row that Penn State Harrisburg has earned a preseason national ranking. 


Last spring, the Lions won 34 games, secured an NCAA Tournament berth for the sixth year in a row and hosted an NCAA Regional for the third consecutive season. As a team, Penn State Harrisburg ranked third in the nation in walks (288), sixth in runs (469), eighth in hits (564), 10th in on-base percentage (.443), 15th in batting average (.335), 17th in doubles (106) and stolen bases (121) and 19th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.0).


Numerous players earned individual accolades as well, with Blaine Waltimyer being named a D3baseball.com Preseason All-American after securing a pair of all-America honors from D3baseball.com and the ABCA/Rawlings last spring. Four players picked up all-region honors from D3baseball.com and/or the ABCA/Rawlings, including returners in Waltimyer, Demetre Koutras III and Fisher Druck. Eight players also secured all-conference recognition following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.


Penn State Harrisburg faces one of the country's toughest schedules this spring as the slate is full of fellow preseason nationally-ranked programs, including No. 5 Salisbury, No. 7 Messiah, No. 8 Rowan and No. 24 Keystone. The Lions also face three programs receiving votes in the preseason rankings the likes of Elizabethtown, Arcadia and Lebanon Valley.


Penn State Harrisburg opens the 2026 season with a weekend series at North Carolina Wesleyan beginning on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 21.


Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Facebook, X and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.