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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) baseball teams are gearing up for a return to the diamond.
 
Weather permitting, several MIAC teams will open the season with non-conference games over the next week. Teams will then depart for their usual spring break trips to Arizona and Florida in March.
 
League play is scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 28, and will run through Saturday, May 2. The top four teams in the standings at the end of the regular season will head back to Collegeville in May for the 2026 MIAC Baseball Playoffs at CHS Field in St. Paul. The last team standing at the end of the double-elimination tournament will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament.

2025 FINAL STANDINGS
Gustavus (37-9, 17-3)*#%
Bethel (30-14, 15-5)
Saint John’s (25-16, 14-6)
St. Olaf (23-16, 13-7)
Saint Mary’s (23-15, 13-7)
St. Scholastica (22-18, 9-11)
Concordia (19-20, 9-11)
Augsburg (16-23, 8-12)
Carleton (12-22, 5-15)
Macalester (12-23, 5-15)
Hamline (7-32, 2-18)
 
*MIAC Regular Season Champion
#MIAC Playoff Champion
%NCAA Championship Participant

RULE CHANGES
The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee and the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) approved several rule changes ahead of the 2025 season, which remain in effect for the 2026 season. Use of the double first base is now permissible. One-way electronic communication devices may also be used from the dugout, coach box, or a position player on the field to relay a pitch or play call. 
 
Adjustments were also made last season to timing rules and requirements. For Division III baseball teams, the use of one or more visible pitch/between-innings clocks will be permissible during the game to enforce all timing rules. All timing requirements shall continue to be followed and enforced during play; however, due to the potentially burdensome expense of purchasing, installing, and operating the visible action clock, PROP has permitted the use of the visible clock for institutions that wish to use it as sufficient for the effective application of the playing rule.
 
The 2026 NCAA Baseball Rulebook is available for download from NCAA Publications.

MIAC SPORTS NETWORK
The MIAC Sports Network, powered by Hudl, returns as the streaming home of all MIAC-hosted games, events, and championships. The MIAC Sports Network is available on the web (https://miacsportsnetwork.com/) along with streaming apps for television and mobile devices, including Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku (TV), iOS, Android (mobile), and Amazon Fire Tablet. The app can be found and installed free of charge by searching for the MIAC Sports Network.
 
The 2026 MIAC Baseball Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Individual playoff contests will be streamed for $10 each, or $25 for a “championship pass” to stream the entire tournament live. On-demand access to playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.

AWARD WATCH
MIAC coaches will vote on the 2026 MIAC Baseball All-Conference honors after the regular season. In addition to a 33-player All-MIAC squad, coaches will also vote on individual awards for the MIAC Player, Pitcher, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.
 
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week awards. Athlete of the Week awards will tentatively begin on Monday, February 23, and be announced each Monday following through the end of the regular season. During the week following the MIAC Playoffs, participating coaches will also select an 11-player All-Playoff Team to recognize outstanding performances throughout the conference tournament.