The Illinois Springfield baseball team was picked second in the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason coaches' poll, as announced Wednesday by the league office.
UIS received four first-place votes and totaled 170 points in the poll, trailing only defending preseason favorite Indianapolis. The Prairie Stars were one of five teams to receive first-place consideration, reflecting the depth of the league entering the 2026 season.
UIS is coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which the Prairie Stars finished 36-16 overall and 23-8 in GLVC play, earning the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. UIS advanced to the GLVC Championship game, finishing the tournament 3-1 and ending the season as conference runner-up.Â
The Prairie Stars went unbeaten through their first three tournament games, posting wins over Missouri S&T, Quincy, and Drury, before falling in the title game. It marked UIS's fourth appearance in a GLVC championship game and its first since winning the league title in 2022.
UIS was ranked as high as seventh in the NCAA Midwest Region rankings during the 2025 season and finished with six All-GLVC selections. Returning for 2026 is First Team All-GLVC honoreeÂ
Mark DeCicco, a key piece of the Prairie Stars starting rotation.
After making five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2018 through 2023, UIS is looking to build on last season's momentum and return to the NCAA postseason.
The Prairie Stars will open the 2026 season on Feb. 6-7 with a series at Savannah State in Savannah, Ga. GLVC play begins March 13-15 with a road series at William Jewell in Liberty, Mo. The 2026 season will mark the first full year at the helm for head coachÂ
Chris Rodriguez.Â
UIS enters the new season with a roster that blends experience and depth, returning 23 players while adding 25 newcomers. Of the 25 newcomers, 18 are transfers with college-level experience from both junior college and NCAA programs. The Prairie Stars spent the fall building chemistry and integrating new pieces, positioning the program with a competitive and experienced roster heading into the spring.
Indianapolis led the poll with 181 points and five first-place votes, followed closely by UIS, Maryville, and Drury in a tightly contested preseason ranking.
The complete 2026 GLVC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll is listed below.
| Place |
School |
Points (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1. |
Indianapolis |
181 (5) |
| 2. |
Illinois Springfield |
170 (4) |
| 3. |
Maryville |
169 (2) |
| 4. |
Drury |
160 (2) |
| 5. |
Lewis |
139 (1) |
| 6. |
Quincy |
128 |
| 7. |
Missouri S&T |
125 |
| 8. |
Missouri-St. Louis |
124 (1) |
| 9. |
Upper Iowa |
81 |
| 10. |
McKendree |
78 |
| 11. |
Rockhurst |
69 |
| 12. |
William Jewell |
66 |
13.
14.
15. |
Southwest Baptist
Truman State
Lincoln |
41
30
14 |
