Burnsville, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released the 2026 Preseason Baseball Coaches' Poll today with the Wolves picked 14th overall. Northern tallied 29 points in the poll with
Carson Zimmel and
Drew Benson selected as the pitcher and player to watch this season.
The preseason coaches' poll is based off each coach ranking each team with the top team receiving 14 points, second 13, third 12, etc.
The baseball non-conference season gets underway Friday, January 30. NSIC play will begin in mid-February again this season with neutral site contests. The 2026 NSIC Baseball Tournament will take the top eight teams in the final NSIC Standings. The eight-team double elimination NSIC Tournament takes place May 6-9 at Ronken Field and at The Birdcage in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Tournament will be co-hosted by University of Sioux Falls and Augustana University. The tournament will be streamed on the NSIC Network, with tournament passes or single game access available for purchase.
LOOKING BACK AT 2025
In the spring of 2025, the Wolves went 15-32 overall and 11-29 in the Northern Sun.
Nick Friedges and
Brennan Phillips were named to the NSIC All-Conference second team.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026
Northern enters its first season under the direction of interim head coach
Brandon Kusler and returns a handful of starters from a season ago including
Jack Weidner,
Dylan Soulek,
Dillon Castellanos,
Carson Zimmel,
Hunter Brown, and
Lance Behrens.
KUSLER'S THOUGHTS
- On the Team: "A good mixture of veteran leadership and young talent is what excites me most about this team. We return a lot of guys with experience in this league both at the plate and on the mound. Combine that with some new faces who will have a big impact on our success. This team has the right attitude and work ethic to compete in this league, and I'm excited to see what we can do in 2026."
- On Benson: "Drew brings a lot of experience to the table as he returns for his fourth year. A mainstay at first base and in the heart of our order, Drew's consistency offensively and defensively will be extremely valuable to our team. Benson is coachable and a great teammate, and I'm excited to see him contribute to our team's success this season."
- On Zimmel: "Carson returns for his second year as a go-to arm on our pitching staff. After leading our staff in innings last year, I envision a very similar role for him in 2026. Carson is the ultimate leader on the mound. His competitiveness and work ethic are truly special, and I look forward to watching him lead this staff with a year of experience in the NSIC under his belt."
2026 NSIC PRESEASON POLL
| Overall |
Points |
| 1 |
Minnesota State (8) |
190 |
| 2 |
Augustana (7) |
189 |
| 3 |
St. Cloud State |
163 |
| 4 |
Wayne State |
154 |
| 5 |
Sioux Falls |
144 |
| 6 |
Minnesota Duluth |
116 |
| 7 |
University of Mary |
115 |
| 8 |
Minnesota Crookston |
112 |
| 9 |
Southwest Minn. State |
90 |
| 10 |
Winona State |
89 |
| 11 |
Concordia-St. Paul |
76 |
| 12 |
Jamestown |
48 |
| 13 |
Minot State |
44 |
| 14 |
Northern State |
29 |
| 15 |
Bemidji State |
16 |
