Kentucky was picked to finish 11th in the SEC in the 2026 preseason SEC coaches poll released on Thursday. Sophomore shortstop Tyler Bell was picked First Team Preseason All-Southeastern Conference and junior lefthander Ben Cleaver was picked as a member of the Second Team.
Bell, a projected first-round pick in the MLB draft in July, slashed .296/.385/.522 with 17 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 46 RBI as a freshman. He reached base safely in 54 of 56 games played and had two four-hit games, making him the first player in at least 20 seasons to accomplish that feat, according to UK Athletics. Bell hit .318 in SEC play and led the team in doubles (11), home runs (7), RBI (25) and slugging percentage (.591).
Cleaver posted a 3.25 ERA as a sophomore and struck out 92 batters in 2025, the most for a Kentucky pitcher since Zack Thompson in 2019. The Tennessee native had seven quality starts and held hitters to a .185 ERA.
Kentucky opens the season on the road at UNC Greensboro on Friday, Feb. 13.
2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
*First-place votes in parentheses.
- LSU (9) – 231
- Texas (1) – 214
- Mississippi State (4) – 205
- Arkansas (2) – 203
- Auburn – 175
- Tennessee – 162
- Florida – 156
- Vanderbilt – 151
- Georgia – 133
- Ole Miss - 110
- Kentucky – 99
- Alabama – 87
- Texas A&M – 86
- Oklahoma - 84
- South Carolina – 49
- Missouri – 31
2026 Preseason First Team All-SEC
C: Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
1B: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
2B: Chris Rembert, Auburn
2B: Camden Kozeal, Arkansas
3B: Ace Reese, Mississippi State
SS: Justin Lebron, Alabama
SS: Tyler Bell, Kentucky
OF: Derek Curiel, LSU
OF: Henry Ford, Tennessee
OF: Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
DH/Util: Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State
SP: Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
SP: Dylan Volantis, Texas
SP: Liam Peterson, Florida
SP: Casan Evans, LSU
RP: Luke McNeillie, Florida
RP: Brandon Arvidson, Tennessee
RP: Zac Cowan, LSU
2026 Preseason Second Team All-SEC
C: Chase Fralick, Auburn
C: Carson Tinney, Texas
1B: Levi Clark, Tennessee
2B: Ethan Mendoza, Texas
SS: Steven Milam, LSU
OF: Kuhio Aloy, Arkansas
OF: Bub Terrell, Auburn
OF: Jake Brown, LSU
DH/Util.: Braden Holcomb, Vanderbilt
SP: Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
SP: Connor Fennell, Vanderbilt
SP: Ben Cleaver, Kentucky
