Baseball Picked to Finish First in Ivy League Preseason Poll
2/12/2026 2:00:00 PM | Baseball
The defending Ivy League Champs open 2026 at Mercer next Friday
PRINCETON, N.J. – Columbia baseball has been selected to finish first in the 2026 Ivy League Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's sports information directors and media members. The poll was announced Thursday afternoon by the Ivy League.
Columbia is coming off its 17th Ivy League Championship, finishing 2025 with a 30-19 overall record and a 16-5 conference mark. Under head coach Brett Boretti, the Lions have captured eight Ivy League titles, seven of which have come since 2013.
The Lions return seven All-Ivy League performers to the lineup and pitching staff from 2025, highlighted by first-team picks, senior infielder Jack Kail and senior outfielder Cole Fellows. Fellows also earned the Blair Bat for the highest batting in Ivy League play, hitting .329 in the Ancient Eight. On the hill, two-time All-Ivy League selection senior Thomas Santana and sophomore Alex Sotiropoulos, who was a second-team honoree last year, anchor the Lions' group of pitchers.
Columbia has never been picked to finish worse than third in the Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll. The Lions earned 118 total points and nine first-place votes, narrowly edging Yale, which finished second with 116 points and seven first-place votes. Penn was picked third, followed by Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Brown.
The Lions open the 2026 season on Friday, February 20, at Mercer. First pitch from OrthoGeorgia Park is set for 6 p.m.
2026 Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes)
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on X and Instagram, and visit GoColumbiaLions.com.
Columbia is coming off its 17th Ivy League Championship, finishing 2025 with a 30-19 overall record and a 16-5 conference mark. Under head coach Brett Boretti, the Lions have captured eight Ivy League titles, seven of which have come since 2013.
The Lions return seven All-Ivy League performers to the lineup and pitching staff from 2025, highlighted by first-team picks, senior infielder Jack Kail and senior outfielder Cole Fellows. Fellows also earned the Blair Bat for the highest batting in Ivy League play, hitting .329 in the Ancient Eight. On the hill, two-time All-Ivy League selection senior Thomas Santana and sophomore Alex Sotiropoulos, who was a second-team honoree last year, anchor the Lions' group of pitchers.
Columbia has never been picked to finish worse than third in the Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll. The Lions earned 118 total points and nine first-place votes, narrowly edging Yale, which finished second with 116 points and seven first-place votes. Penn was picked third, followed by Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Brown.
The Lions open the 2026 season on Friday, February 20, at Mercer. First pitch from OrthoGeorgia Park is set for 6 p.m.
2026 Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes)
- Columbia — 118 (9)
- Yale — 116 (7)
- Penn — 100
- Harvard — 73
- Princeton — 49
- Cornell — 45
- Dartmouth — 41
- Brown — 34
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on X and Instagram, and visit GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
INF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballFeature: MBK | PIX11 Speaks with Tomas Lopez
Tuesday, February 10
Highlights: BASE | Columbia 1, Miami 14
Sunday, June 01
Highights: BASE | Columbia 11, Southern Miss 4
Saturday, May 31
Highlights: BASE | Columbia 14, Harvard 6
Sunday, May 18
