South Region Recap (February)

As the college baseball season moved through February, teams across the Sunshine State Conference, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and Gulf South Conference began shaping the early race for positioning in the NCAA Division II South Region. 

Traditional powers asserted themselves, emerging contenders built momentum, and several key players delivered standout performances that could influence the regional picture as the spring progresses. With three of the most competitive Division II conferences

in the South Region footprint, February results provided an early glimpse into which programs may ultimately contend for conference titles, regional rankings, and a coveted path to the postseason.

Gulf South Conference Highlights

February marked the opening stretch of the 2026 Gulf South Conference baseball season, with several of the league’s traditional powers quickly establishing themselves near the top of the early standings. 

The University of West Florida, the League’s preseason favorite, lived up to expectations with a strong start built around one of the conference’s most productive returning hitters, Alex Urias, who returned after a .390 freshman campaign the year prior. Defending regular-season and tournament champion Delta State also remained firmly in the title conversation in the early portion of the schedule, while Mississippi College and Valdosta State continued to show the depth that has made the GSC one of Division II’s most competitive baseball leagues.

Several early series helped shape the February storyline as conference play began in the middle of the month. 

Programs such as West Alabama and Lee picked up key wins that tightened the middle of the standings, while returning postseason contenders—including West Florida and Delta State—continued to set the pace at the top. 

After sending four teams to the NCAA Division II tournament last season, the conference again showed strong depth early in 2026, with multiple clubs posting winning records in February and positioning themselves for what looks to be another tightly contested GSC race heading into March.

Sunshine State Conference Highlights

The first full month of action in the Sunshine State Conference was defined by strong early non-conference starts and a tight group of contenders near the top of the standings. 

The University of Tampa Spartans set the pace, opening the season with an undefeated 8–0 record and extending their reputation as the league’s powerhouse after entering the year as the preseason favorite to win the conference title. Barry University also surged out of the gate at 9–2, while Saint Leo University posted a 5–1 start and rode a four-game win streak through the final week of February. 

Nova Southeastern University (4–2) and Florida Institute of Technology (5–3) remained within striking distance, while Rollins College climbed to 6–4 behind a late-month winning streak as teams prepared to begin conference play in March.

Several February results highlighted the depth of the league. Barry opened the year with a five-game winning run that included high-scoring victories such as a 16–4 win over Valdosta State and an extra-inning thriller against Coker, though the Buccaneers also suffered an early upset in an 18–11 loss to Bentley. 

Tampa’s perfect start established the Spartans as the early team to beat, but the pack behind them remained crowded, with Saint Leo and Rollins both finishing the month on notable streaks. Across the conference, early offensive production stood out as a key theme, with multiple teams averaging big run totals in tournament and regional matchups before the league schedule begins. 

As February closed, Tampa and Barry led the standings by record, but the tightly grouped field suggested the Sunshine State Conference race could quickly tighten once conference series begin in March.

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Highlights

The SIAC opened the 2026 baseball season with a tightly packed standings race and several early surprises. 

Miles College emerged as the early leader, posting a 9–2 overall record and opening conference play 3–0 to sit atop the standings at the end of the month. Albany State, the defending SIAC tournament champion, also began conference play undefeated at 3–0 while hovering just above .500 overall as it worked through a challenging non-conference schedule. 

Spring Hill, Savannah State, and Morehouse all remained in the early title picture as well, with each team collecting conference wins during the opening series and positioning themselves within striking distance heading into March.

A few early season results underscored the depth of the conference. Miles’ strong start—highlighted by an 8–2 run over its last ten games—made the Golden Bears one of the early breakout teams in the SIAC, while Albany State and Spring Hill both swept their opening conference series to maintain unbeaten league marks. 

Morehouse also impressed early with a 4–2 overall record and a 2–1 start in conference play, while programs such as Lane and Edward Waters remained competitive in the middle of the standings. 

Individual standouts entering the season included Savannah State pitcher Brayden Thomas, the reigning SIAC Starting Pitcher of the Year, and several returning All-SIAC performers expected to shape the race as conference play intensifies through March and April.