SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Summit League announced the results of its official preseason poll, with Omaha Baseball selected tied for second along with St. Thomas. Omaha native and graduate student
Henry Zipay, along with sophomore
Maddox Meyer of Malcolm, Nebraska, were named Players to Watch.
| 2026 Summit League Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| Rank |
School |
Points (1st) |
2025 Record (SL) |
| 1. |
Oral Roberts |
24 (4) |
37-22 (21-9) |
| t2. |
Omaha and St. Thomas |
19 (2)
19 |
20-30 (12-16)
29-21 (21-9) |
| 4. |
South Dakota State |
12 |
16-26 (12-18) |
| 5. |
North Dakota State |
11 |
21-34 (13-15) |
| 6. |
Northern Colorado |
6 |
18-33 (9-21) |
The Mavericks received 24 points overall, with two first-place votes. Ahead of them were Oral Roberts (24 points, four first place). South Dakota State was behind Omaha with 12 points.
Head coach
Evan Porter returns 17 players and welcomes 15 newcomers, including Zipay who is coming off a standout 2025 campaign.
Zipay was named Summit League Player of the Year and a first-team All-Summit League selection after leading the Mavericks and tying for the Summit League lead with a .384 batting average. He also ranked first in the conference with a .475 on-base percentage and posted the second-highest OPS in the league at 1.026.
Zipay led Omaha with 81 hits, ranking fifth in the Summit League, and paced the conference with five triples. He ranks No. 22 in the 2026 D1 Baseball Top 50 Third Baseman Preseason Player Rankings.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher
Maddox Meyer joins Zipay as a 2026 Summit League Player to Watch. As a freshman in 2025, Meyer made 18 appearances, including eight starts, and finished with 31 strikeouts in 39.1 innings pitched.
Last season, Omaha finished 20-30 overall with a 12-16 mark in Summit League play.
Omaha opens the 2026 season in Tempe, Arizona, Feb. 13-15, with three games against Arizona State.
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