The NIL era of college athletics has spread talent across a broader array of schools, and The Athletic’s preseason All-America teams are a reflection of that reality. No school has more than two players on the two teams, and 24 different schools are represented among the 28 spots.
First teamC Carson Tinney, Texas
Tinney broke out last year as a sophomore, hitting .348/.498/.753 with 17 home runs at Notre Dame to earn All-ACC honors. He then transferred to Texas in arguably the most high-profile move of the summer.
1B Brady Ballinger, Kansas
Ballinger last year led the Jayhawks to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, hitting .353/.495/.670 with 16 home runs and earning All-Big 12 honors.
2B Chris Rembert, Auburn
Rembert became the first Auburn freshman to earn All-SEC honors since 2008 after he hit .344/.467/.555, including a conference-best .485 on-base percentage in SEC play.
3B Ace Reese, Mississippi State
Reese transferred to Mississippi State from Houston before his sophomore season and hit .352/.422/.718 with 21 home runs and was named SEC Newcomer of the Year.
Enjoy 40 seconds of Ace Reese HRs. pic.twitter.com/t4mcOmukRQ
— Old Row MSU (@OldRowMSU) January 24, 2026
SS Roch Cholowsky, UCLA
Cholowsky emerged as the nation’s top player in 2025, hitting .353/.480/.710 with 23 home runs and was named both the Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
OF Drew Burress, Georgia Tech
Burress has been one of the best hitters in the country over the last two seasons, earning All-America honors in 2024 and 2025, and last year he hit .333/.469/.693 with 19 home runs.
OF Derek Curiel, LSU
Curiel starred as a freshman for LSU, helping the Tigers to the national championship and hitting .345/.470/.519 with 20 doubles and earning a spot on the all-tournament team at the College World Series.
OF Sawyer Strosnider, TCU
Strosnider hit .350/.420/.650 with 11 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 2025, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.
DH Daniel Cuvet, Miami
Cuvet has been one of the best power hitters in the country over the last two years, and last year hit .372/.450/.708 with 18 home runs.
SP Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
After missing almost all of two seasons due to injury, Elliott returned last year to lead the Ole Miss rotation and went 10-3 with a 2.94 ERA, 102 strikeouts and 40 walks in 85 2/3 innings.
SP Cameron Flukey, Coastal Carolina
Flukey helped lead Coastal to the College World Series finals, going 7-2 with a 3.19 ERA, 118 strikeouts and 24 walks in 101 2/3 innings.
SP Dax Whitney, Oregon State
Whitney starred as a freshman in 2025, going 6-3 with a 3.40 ERA, 120 strikeouts and 37 walks in 76 2/3 innings.
RP Tony Pluta, Arizona
Pluta emerged as one of the best relievers in the country in 2025 as he went 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA and 14 saves in 30 appearances.
RP Ryan Lynch, Coastal Carolina
Lynch starred in the Chanticleers’ bullpen last season, helping them to a runner-up finish at the CWS and going 2-1 with a 0.56 ERA and nine saves in 28 appearances.
Second teamC Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
Helfrick last year hit .305/.420/.616 with 15 home runs and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Fayetteville Regional, helping the Razorbacks eventually reach the College World Series.
1B Myles Bailey, Florida State
Bailey hit .327/.441/.663 with 19 home runs in 2025, the most by any freshman in a major conference.
2B Jarren Advincula, Georgia Tech
Last year at Cal, Advincula hit .342/.410/.506 with 13 stolen bases before transferring to Georgia Tech.
3B Henry Ford, Tennessee
After two strong seasons at Virginia, Ford transferred to Tennessee and projects to take over at third base after hitting .362/.420/.575 with 11 home runs in 2025.
SS Justin Lebron, Alabama
Lebron has started all but one of Alabama’s games at shortstop over the last two years, twice earning All-SEC Defensive Team honors, and last year hit .316/.421/.636 with 18 home runs and 17 stolen bases.
OF Harrison Feinberg, Northeastern
Feinberg broke out in 2025, earning co-CAA Player of the Year honors after hitting .367/.455/.715 with 18 home runs and 37 stolen bases.
OF AJ Gracia, Virginia
Gracia followed coach Chris Pollard from Duke to Virginia after hitting .293/.449/.558 with 15 home runs last season.
OF Lucas Moore, Louisville
Moore last year helped lead the Cardinals to the College World Series, hitting .341/.430/.456 with 53 stolen bases, the most by any player in a major conference since 2012.
DH Aiden Robbins, Texas
Robbins hit .422/.537/.652 with six home runs and 20 stolen bases for Seton Hall in 2025 and then transferred to Texas.
SP Jackson Flora, UCSB
Flora is the latest in a long line of star UCSB pitchers and is coming off a season in which he went 6-3 with a 3.60 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 17 walks in 75 innings.
RHP Jackson Flora is coming off a strong Sophomore campaign, where he posted a 3.60 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 75 innings of work. He continued his upward trajectory this fall, with a 1.40 FIP and 1.00 WHIP to go along with a gaudy strikeout rate of 42.9%.@jackflora05 @UCSB_Baseball pic.twitter.com/hyNCNJ8A98
— UCSB Baseball Analytics (@SBBaseballData) December 26, 2025
SP Aidan Knaak, Clemson
Knaak has been a force in the starting rotation since arriving on campus and has twice earned first-team All-ACC honors, including last year after going 9-1 with a 4.18 ERA, 110 strikeouts and 29 walks in 90 1/3 innings.
SP Jack Ohman, Yale
Ohman burst onto the college baseball scene last year, leading the nation with a 1.34 ERA as a freshman while going 8-1 with 87 strikeouts and 20 walks in 73 2/3 innings.
RP Easton Hawk, UCLA
Hawk took over as UCLA’s closer as a freshman and went 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and eight saves in 26 appearances.
RP Walker McDuffie, North Carolina
McDuffie established himself as the Tar Heels’ go-to reliever as a freshman, going 3-3 with a 3.74 ERA and seven saves in 28 appearances.