LSU Shreveport Baseball Opens 2026 Season as RRAC Preseason Favorite
SHREVEPORT, La. – The standard has been set, and the LSU Shreveport Pilots remain at the top of the mountain. LSUS baseball has been selected as the No. 1 team in the Red River Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, earning a perfect 100 points in the league's annual vote announced this week.
The preseason recognition follows one of the most remarkable seasons in college baseball history. In 2025, LSU Shreveport captured the Avista NAIA Baseball World Series title while completing a flawless 59-0 campaign — the first undefeated season ever recorded at any level of college baseball. The Pilots also finished 47-0 in the regular season, including a 30-0 sweep of RRAC play, before rolling through the conference tournament, NAIA Opening Round, and World Series to secure the program's first national championship.
Head coach Brad Neffendorf's squad enters 2026 carrying a 59-game winning streak, the longest in college baseball history. LSUS closed last season ranked No. 1 in the final NAIA Baseball Coaches' Poll and held the top spot wire-to-wire throughout the year.
While the 2025 team wrote history, the 2026 roster brings new faces and fresh energy. The Pilots welcome 30 newcomers tasked with building chemistry and continuing the championship standard. Fourteen total returners provide continuity, including six players who account for the bulk of LSUS's returning statistical production.
On the mound, reliever Brock Lucas returns after posting a 2-0 record with four saves in 11 appearances, including a start in the NAIA World Series-clinching game. David Hankins, the team's winningest returning pitcher, went 5-0 across 18 appearances. Camden Stephens and Calvin Shepherd combined for three additional wins out of the bullpen.
At the plate, infielder Carlos Vega and outfielder Bula White each logged more than 40 at-bats a year ago and together scored 38 runs, providing experienced production in the lineup.
LSUS's incoming class adds significant collegiate experience. Eleven newcomers have played at four-year institutions, including Division I transfers Spencer Sullivan (VCU), Nazir Mendez (Eastern Kentucky), and Makana Olaso, who brings starting experience from San José State. Pitcher Robert Lastra contributed 18 appearances and two saves at Bethune-Cookman, while Brett Justice arrives after recording 10 home runs and 41 RBIs for Mid-America Christian, a team that competed in the NAIA Regional hosted by LSUS last spring.
The Pilots are also ranked No. 1 in the NAIA preseason national poll and will begin the 2026 schedule with a strong home presence. Fourteen of the first 18 games will be played at Pilot Field, with the remaining four contests taking place in-state at the Cajun Collision in Sterlington.
LSUS will be tested early with eight games against preseason Top-25 opponents, including matchups with No. 4 Hope International, No. 11 William Carey, No. 12 Missouri Baptist, No. 15 Arizona Christian, No. 19 Mid-America Christian, and No. 25 Central Methodist.
The Pilots open the 2026 season on Thursday, Jan. 22, with a home doubleheader at Pilot Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m., followed by game two at 5:30 p.m.
Click here for the full poll.
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