If you’re looking for a glimpse into the future of professional baseball, one of the best places to start is by watching the NCAA Tournament. A wide range of the top draft prospects in the upcoming draft class will take the field this weekend during regional play, and to continue our series of identifying the top 2026 prospects in each regional, we’ll look at the Hattiesburg, Tallahassee, Eugene, and College Station regionals.
The Top 2026 Prospects in Each NCAA Regional
Hattiesburg Regional
Southern Miss – There is no denying that Southern Miss has been one of the most consistently dominant mid-major teams in the sport for quite some time. That success is likely to continue, given the amount of draft talent they have in the upcoming classes. The Golden Eagles may not have anyone selected in the early rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft, but they have two seniors in Kyle Morrison and Colby Allen who could be seen as money-saving picks late in the draft. Morrison leads the team with a 141 wRC+ and 16 home runs, while Allen has recorded 21 saves over the past three seasons and has an 11.06 K/9 this season.
Virginia – While the Cavaliers lost a number of draft prospects to the transfer portal before the season, new head coach Chris Pollard was quickly able to make up for that. Between AJ Gracia and Eric Becker, the Cavaliers seem to have two first-round picks for the upcoming draft. Aside from having more walks than strikeouts, Gracia enters the NCAA Tournament with a .481 wOBA, 1.095 OPS, and 27 extra base hits. Becker is second on the team behind Gracia in wOBA and OPS. Other Cavaliers that should come off the board in the top ten rounds include Kyle Johnson (40 K’s in 35.1 innings), Sam Harris (.948 OPS), and Rider transfer Joe Tiroly (14 HRs, 58 RBI).
This 110 mph double is the hardest-hit ball by AJ Gracia this year. Frozen rope. Top spin kept it in the yard. pic.twitter.com/yEw9pQXNHL
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) May 16, 2026
Jacksonville State – Fresh off winning the Conference USA Tournament, the Gamecocks will look to keep their impressive season alive. The Gamecocks have a number of impressive players in their lineup and on their pitching staff, but the biggest draft prospect is left-handed pitcher Beau Bryans. In 14 starts, Bryans is 7-1 with a 3.63 ERA and 10.60 K/9.
Tallahassee Regional
Florida State – Pitching depth has been a strength of the Seminoles for the past few seasons, and this year was no different. Florida State’s pitching staff is led by its top draft prospect, Wes Mendes. The southpaw has pitched to a 2.83 ERA this season to go along with 117 punchouts and a .202 batting average allowed. After Mendes, the Noles can roll out another impressive lefty in Trey Beard, who comes into the regional with a K/9 of 12.38.
Outside of the two dynamic lefties, the Noles will also lose right-handers John Abraham and Bryson Moore to pro ball. In the field, the Noles have been without their top hitter, Myles Bailey, due to injury, but another 2026 prospect, Brayden Dowd, has stepped nicely in his absence, boasting a wRC+ of 122.
Coastal Carolina – Before the 2026 campaign, one of the biggest draft debates was about whether Jackson Flora or Cameron Flukey was the top pitching prospect in the class. Due to an early-season injury suffered by the Chanticleers’ ace, that debate quickly went in favor of Flora. Regardless, Flukey is still considered a top half of the first round talent, and in his last two starts, he’s started to look more like himself, allowing one earned run and striking out 11 in eight innings. The two other notable arms for Coastal in Flukey’s class are lefty Hayden Johnson (2.82 ERA, 55 Ks) and right-hander Ross Norman.
765 Pitchers hit 95+ MPH on their fastballs last season in college baseball.
Of those who hit it 100+ times, no one threw more strikes than Cameron Flukey (75.1%) 🎯🔥
He hit it 607 times. pic.twitter.com/FaN8Rv9RsY
— Matt Pepin (@matthewpepin_) January 17, 2026
Northern Illinois: For the Huskies, Max Vaisvila is a notable name who could be another late-round senior sign or, at the very least, a UDFA. The lefty is 8-0 on the year with three complete games and 86 strikeouts in 84 1/3 innings.
Eugene Regional
Oregon – The Ducks may have fallen in tragic fashion in the Big Ten Championship, but the future is certainly bright in Eugene. Most of the Ducks’ big-name players will get selected in future drafts, but there are a few members of the ’26 class that MLB teams would certainly like to have. On the bump, those players include Cal Scolari and Collin Clarke.
Scolari has boasted elite strikeout stuff, recording 76 strikeouts in 49 innings. As far as the Ducks on the pond (field) go, Ryan Cooney and Maddox Molony are the names to watch. Cooney is third on the team with a 126 wRC+, and despite struggling for most of the season, Molony still launched 12 home runs.
Cal Scolari (rhp, @OregonBaseball). Here’s a full inning (1st) & a few punch out pitches from the San Diego transfer.
4IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 3K.
4-0, 2.81, 32IP, 16BB, 46Ks.FB: 90-94 (t96) | 2421 | 7 s&m
SL: 83-85 | 2453 | 2 s&m
CB: 74-81 | 2520 pic.twitter.com/fD0hYXcMWZ— Burke Granger (@burkegranger) April 5, 2026
Oregon State – Next season, the Beavers are going to have their ace, Dax Whitney, selected in the top five picks. As far as the 2026 draft goes, Ethan Kleinschmit will be the first Beaver off the board. The southpaw has assumed the role of ace following Whitney’s injury, and heading into enemy territory this weekend, he has a 3.91 ERA and 11.10 K/9. Fellow starter, Eric Segura, should also find a home in pro ball, especially with his 2.96 FIP and 72 punchouts in 66.1 innings.
College Station Regional
Texas A&M – First-round picks are common for the Aggies, and this season is no different. Maryland transfer Chris Hacopian is one of the top 2026 prospects in this regional. He should be off the board by pick #15 at the latest, as his elite hit tool has led to him having a 109 wRC+ and an impressively low 11.9% strikeout rate.
Other members of the Aggies lineup that should hear their names called before the middle of the third round include Gavin Grahovac, Caden Sorrell, and Bear Harrison. Last season, Grahovac missed most of the year with an injury, but he’s returned this year to produce a 1.141 OPS, while Sorrell led the team with 23 long balls. Pitching-wise, southpaw Shane Sdao is a Top-100 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and with a 2.36 ERA, Clayton Freshcorn isn’t far behind his staff-mate.
USC – The best arm in this regional belongs to the Trojans. Left-hander Mason Edwards has flown up draft boards and put his name into first-round conversations by going 8-0 with a 2.07 FIP and 160 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings. Typically, the day after Edwards pitches, the Trojans would turn to Grant Govel, and that should be the case in the draft as well, since Govel also recorded a sub-3.00 ERA and sub-1.000 WHIP.
Mason Edwards turned in a 10 K shutout performance over 6 innings vs Nevada last night. His 11th double digit K outing of the season.🔥
Game: 6 IN 4 H 0 R 1 BB 10 K
SZN: 78.1 IN 39 H 14 ER 34 BB 142 K pic.twitter.com/Ut9wCeWRxN— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 8, 2026
Lamar – It would be a disservice to college baseball, not to mention the Cardinals’ ace, Chris Olivier. The senior right-hander may not overpower hitters with his fastball, but he knows how to get people out. In 15 starts and 88 innings, Olivier pitched to the tune of a 2.66 ERA with 103 strikeouts.
Main Photo Credit: Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
