Mitchell Baseball Picked First in GNAC Preseason Poll, Eyes 2026 Season
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College baseball team is set to open the 2026 season with a competitive slate of non-conference matchups and a full Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) schedule, highlighted by an early spring break trip and a challenging mix of regional opponents throughout the spring.
The Mariners begin the season on the road with a three-game swing, opening Kean University, the #4 ranked team in the 2026 D3baseball.com/NCBWA Preseason Top 25, on February 20–21 before hosting Rhode Island College for their home opener on Febriary 28. Mitchell remains at Alumni Field the following day against Brandeis University as part of an early-season stretch designed to help the team establish rhythm heading into March.
A mix of regional non-conference matchups continues in early March, including contests against University of Hartford, Coast Guard Academy, and University of Massachusetts Boston.
Mitchell will then embark on its annual spring break trip from March 9–14, traveling to Virginia and South Carolina for a five-game stretch. The Mariners open the trip at Ferrum College before playing a series of neutral-site games in Lexington, South Carolina, against Swarthmore College, Case Western Reserve University, Marietta College, and SUNY Cobleskill.
Following the spring break slate, Mitchell returns home for an extended stretch in New London, hosting non-conference opponents including Clark University, Nichols College, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology before opening GNAC play with a series against New England College on March 21.
Conference action continues throughout late March and April with key GNAC series against Saint Joseph's College (ME), Colby-Sawyer College, Dean College, Albertus Magnus College, Norwich University, Elms College, Lasell University, Rivier University, and University of Saint Joseph (Conn.).
The schedule also features several notable non-conference matchups against regional programs such as Keene State College, Salve Regina University, Wesleyan University, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Johnson & Wales University as the Mariners prepare for postseason competition.
Coming off a season in which the Mariners went 25–18 and advanced to the GNAC Championship Series, the team will feature a strong lineup highlighted by sophomore Ryan Dennis (Enfield, Conn.), a 2025 GNAC All-Conference First Team selection, and junior Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.), who earned Second Team All-Conference honors last spring and was named to the D3baseball.com All-Region 1 Third Team.
Dennis burst onto the scene for the Mariners, batting .376 with 56 hits and 31 stolen bases, while Ficocelli slashed .337/.416/.494 with five home runs, 11 doubles, 40 RBI, and 32 runs scored during his sophomore season. They will be joined by senior Kenneth Miller Jr. (New London, Conn.) and junior Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.), both of whom earned GNAC All-Conference Second Team honors last year.
The Mariners' biggest challenge will be replacing the pitching duo of Eddie Kaftan and Chris Gibbs, both All-Conference selections who combined to throw more than 150 innings and record 15 wins.
Additionally, the Mariners were recently picked to finish first in the GNAC Baseball Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league's 11 head coaches.
"We're grateful for the respect throughout the conference with a first-place preseason selection, but preseason polls don't win games," said Mitchell head coach Shawn Gilblair. "We return a veteran lineup that's played a lot of meaningful baseball, and we will lean on that strength throughout the year. On the mound, we have something to prove with some talented but unproven arms. It's an opportunity for this staff to turn potential into production. I like the guys in our dugout. Our chemistry and culture will need to continue to grow throughout the year if we expect to compete for a GNAC championship."
The top eight teams at the end of the regular season earn berths into the 2026 GNAC Baseball Championship Tournament as the eight teams will be split into two double-elimination pods. The first day of Pod Play will take place on Thursday, April 30th and will follow up with day 2 on Saturday, May 2 and the Finals will be on Sunday, May 3 with the two pod champions advancing to the 2026 GNAC Baseball Championship Series. The best-of-three GNAC Championship Series is scheduled for Thursday-Friday, May 7-8. The winner of the GNAC Championship Series will be named the 2026 GNAC Baseball Champion and earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2026 NCAA Division Baseball Championship.
2026 GNAC Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Mitchell 114 (8)
2. University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) 109 (3)
3. Saint Joseph's (Maine) 92
4. Lasell 85
5. Colby-Sawyer 83
6. Rivier 71
7. Norwich 48
8. Elms 42
9. Dean 31
10. Albertus Magnus 29
11. New England College 22
