NAPERVILLE — The Carthage baseball team was picked sixth in the 2026 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Preseason Baseball Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference office Friday morning.

North Central (Ill.) was selected as the preseason favorite, earning six first-place votes and 62 points. Illinois Wesleyan followed with two first-place votes and 57 points, while Millikin received the remaining first-place vote and finished third with 49 points. Augustana placed fourth with 39 points, North Park was fifth with 34 points, and Carthage followed closely with 33 points. Wheaton (Ill.) finished seventh with 22 points, while Carroll and Elmhurst tied for eighth with 14 points apiece.

Finishing the 2025 season 30-14 and 14-6 in conference play, The Firebirds open the 2026 season Feb. 20 with a road contest at Westminster in Fulton, Mo under first year head coach John Lequia. Carthage remains in Missouri on Feb. 21 for a neutral-site doubleheader against Grinnell before traveling to Louisville, Ky., for three games at Derby City Field. The Firebirds face Spalding (Ky.) on Feb. 27, followed by games against Ohio Northern and Kalamazoo on Feb. 28.

Carthage returns to the Midwest on March 1 for a road game at Franklin in Franklin, Ind., before departing for an Arizona spring break trip beginning March 7. Conference play opens March 20 at North Park in Chicago, with the teams meeting again March 21 at Augie Schmidt Field in Kenosha, Wis.

The Firebirds continue league play with a road contest at Concordia (Wis.) on March 24 before a three-game series against preseason favorite North Central (Ill.) on March 28 and 29. Carthage hosts Carroll on April 1, then travels to Decatur, Ill., for a three-game series at Millikin on April 3 and 4.

Following a nonconference doubleheader against Marian on April 7, the Firebirds host Illinois Wesleyan on April 11 before traveling to Bloomington, Ill., on April 12. Carthage continues conference action with a road game at Carroll on April 15 and a road contest at Wheaton (Ill.) on April 17, followed by a home doubleheader against Wheaton (Ill.) on April 18.

The regular season concludes with a road game at Ripon on April 21, a three-game conference series against Elmhurst from April 25 to 26, and a road contest at Lawrence on April 29. Carthage closes the regular season May two with a home doubleheader against Augustana (Ill.) at Simmons Field.