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We’re officially rolling into conference preview season on The College Baseball Show, and this episode is all about the Sun Belt Conference heading into the 2026 college baseball season. We break down every team in the league from top to bottom, discussing returning talent, key transfers, breakout players, coaching trends, and where each program stands entering the year. From perennial powers like Coastal Carolina, Southern Miss, and Troy to rising programs and true dark horses, we also hand out Sun Belt superlatives—including Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Breakout Star, Transfer of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Dark Horse Team.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro & start of conference preview season

01:05 – Why the Sun Belt is a true “P5-level” baseball conference

02:11 – How this Sun Belt preview is structured

03:00 – Old Dominion preview

04:55 – James Madison preview

06:15 – Georgia State preview

08:25 – Georgia Southern preview

09:50 – Appalachian State preview

12:05 – Arkansas State preview

14:45 – South Alabama preview

16:15 – ULM preview

18:10 – Texas State preview

20:35 – Louisiana (Lafayette) preview

22:45 – Marshall preview

25:05 – Southern Miss preview

28:45 – Troy preview

33:05 – Coastal Carolina preview

37:55 – Sun Belt Player of the Year discussion

40:05 – Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year discussion

42:55 – Breakout Star / Freshman to watch

45:10 – Transfer of the Year

47:00 – Coach of the Year

48:20 – Dark Horse team (outside the top three)

50:10 – Big-picture outlook for the Sun Belt & final thoughts

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In this episode of the College Baseball Show Coaches Corner, we sit down with Terry Rooney, pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at South Carolina Gamecocks, to break down the blueprint for getting South Carolina baseball back to the top of the SEC. Rooney dives into year two of the rebuild, roster construction in the transfer portal era, balancing high school recruiting with veteran talent, and what stood out during a strong fall for the Gamecocks. He also shares insight into SEC pitching philosophy, building a winning culture, working alongside legendary head coach Paul Mainieri, and recruiting stories from his career — including landing Justin Verlander at Old Dominion. A must-watch conversation for college baseball fans, coaches, and anyone tracking the 2026 season.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro & welcoming Terry Rooney

01:30 – Year two at South Carolina & program goals

03:45 – Building a roster in the transfer portal era

06:10 – Evaluating South Carolina’s transfer class impact

08:45 – Power arms, power bats & SEC roster needs

11:00 – Leadership, culture & setting expectations

13:40 – Fall structure & pitcher development philosophy

15:25 – Salute to Troops weekend vs Army, Navy & Air Force

16:55 – Pitching identity, analytics & SEC success

19:10 – Recruiting Justin Verlander: the full story

23:35 – Working with Paul Mainieri & rebuilding elite programs

26:20 – Dream teams, football influences & coaching inspirations

29:20 – Life away from baseball & family

32:05 – Closing thoughts on South Carolina baseball’s future

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We kick off our 2026 season preview series by breaking down the top mid-major programs to watch across the country, excluding the loaded Sun Belt, which gets its own episode. Mark, Jared, and Will go region by region to spotlight teams poised to make noise this spring, including UTSA, Dallas Baptist, UConn, Rhode Island, San Diego State, Gonzaga, Cal State Fullerton, Creighton, Missouri State, Austin Peay, East Carolina, Tulane, and others. We dive into returning stars, impact transfers, coaching continuity, breakout players, and more! If you want to know which non-Power 4 teams could crash regionals, host, or pull off postseason upsets, this is the must-listen preview as we count down to Opening Day.

TIMESTAMPS

Intro - 0:35

Explaining the preview shows - 1:40

Southwest Region - 2:32

Northeast Region - 6:00

West Coast - 13:53

Midwest - 22:02

Southeast Region - 28:23

Player Coach Superlatives - 39:30

- Player of the Year Candidates Each Region - 39:45

- Best Pitcher Candidates Each Region - 46:00

- Breakout star or Freshman for 2026 Each Region - 51:45

- Coach Likely to be on the lists for P4 jobs - 58:20

- Dark Horse Team that could surprise people - 1:01:20

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