AUGUSTA, GA -- The Peach Belt Conference has released the 2025 baseball season preview containing the preseason coaches' poll and All-Conference team.

Georgia College & State University are the top team in the coaches' poll. The Bobcats were second in the PBC regular-season standings in 2024 and won the PBC Tournament. GCSU finished the season 37-22, 18-9 in league play and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Lander is second in the coaches poll after winning the PBC regular-season title in 2024. Columbus State is third with North Georgia in fourth and Georgia Southwestern fifth.

The complete coaches' poll is below followed by the preseason All-Conference team. Coaches were not permitted to rank their own teams or vote for their own players.

Peach Belt Baseball
Preseason Coaches' Poll
 

Rank	Team	Points
1.	Georgia College & State University (8)	78
2.	Lander (1)	69
3.	Columbus State	62
4.	North Georgia (1)	60
5.	Georgia Southwestern	54
6.	Augusta	37
7.	Flagler	34
8.	USC Aiken	30
9.	USC Beaufort	17
10.	Claflin	9

Preseason All-Conference Team

1b - Braeden Smith, GCSU

• A sophomore from Statham, Ga.
• 2024 PBC Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-Conference selection...won the All-Region Rawlings/ABCA Gold Glove Award at first base...started all 59 games as a freshman, hitting .356 with six home runs and 48 RBIs
• Tied for second in the PBC with 20 doubles...ranked eighth in the league in total hits, fourth in on-base percentage...made no errors in 497 chances at first base

2b - Cory Lee, Georgia Southwestern

• A senior from Loganville, Ga.
• A PBC first-team All-Conference selection, he hit .369 with five home runs and 50 RBIs...ranked eighth in the PBC in batting average and tied for seventh in doubles
• Had five hits and three doubles against Indianapolis, both marks tied for single-game highs in the PBC last year...had 20 multi-hit games...13 multi-RBI games

3b - Matthew Mebane, GCSU

• A senior from Dublin, Ga.
• A first-team PBC All-Conference selection, he was also named All-Region by ABCA/Rawlings, D2CCA and NCBWA...named the PBC Tournament Most Valuable Player after hitting a walk-off home run in the championship game
• Led the PBC with 70 RBIs last season and was tied for the league lead with 20 home runs...also ranked third in the conference in runs scored, tied for seventh in doubles, sixth in slugging percentage and tied for eighth in hits

SS - Gabriel Wuerth, GCSU

• A junior from Woodstock, Ga.
• A PBC first-team All-Conference selection, he was also named All-Region by D2CCA and NCBWA...started all 59 games, hitting .356 with three home runs and 38 RBIs
• Led the Peach Belt with 90 base hits last season...hit safely in 50 games...had a 24-game hitting streak in the middle of the season...had 26 multi-hit games including a five-hit outing against Claflin, tied for the most in a game in the PBC

C - Capers Molinaroli, USC Aiken

• A senior from Summerville, S.C.
• Started in 48 games for the Pacers last season, hitting .354 with six doubles and 24 RBIs...was second on the team and 13th in the PBC in batting average
• Had 24 multi-hit games last season with four multi-RBI outings...threw out seven base stealers and helped turn 12 double plays

DH - Connor Droze, Lander

• A senior from Roebuck, S.C.
• A first-team PBC All-Conference selection, he was named All-Region by the NCBWA, D2CCA and NABC/Rawlings...hit 20 home runs last season which is tied for the most in the PBC and 12th in NCAA Division II
• Led the PBC with a .731 slugging percentage and was fifth with 60 RBIs...named the PBC Player of the Week three times

OF - Brant Deerman, Georgia Southwestern

• A senior from Piedmont, Ala.
• A PBC first-team All-Conference selection in the outfield last year...led the team and was fifth in the PBC with a .372 batting average...had three home runs and 65 RBIs
• Ranked third in the PBC in RBIs and fourth in base hits...hit .407 in conference play and was third in the conference in RBIs in conference games

OF - Andrews Opata, North Georgia

• A junior from Lawrenceville, Ga.
• Started all 51 games for the Nighthawks, hitting .308 with five home runs and 35 RBIs...tied for third in the PBC with 24 stolen bases
• Ranked in the PBC top 10 in runs scored, doubles and triples...a PBC Presidential Honor Roll Gold Scholar

OF - Josh Sharp, USC Aiken

• A senior from Lawrenceville, Ga.
• A PBC second-team All-Conference selection, he made 48 starts and played in all 49 games for the Pacers, leading the team with a .389 batting average and 34 RBIs
• Was second in the PBC in batting average and seventh in on-base percentage...stole 21 bases which was seventh in the league...a CSC Academic All-District selection

RP - Tyler Overholt, Lander

• A junior from Abbeville, S.C.
• A PBC second-team All-Conference selection, he led the league with eight saves in 2024...made 19 total appearances, all in relief, with a 3-2 record and 3.49 ERA in 28.1 innings of work
• Named the PBC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 19...had half of his saves against conference opponents..had 24 strikeouts on the season

SP - John Luke Glanton, GCSU

• A junior righthander from Metter, Ga.
• A PBC first-team All-Conference selection last season, he was an All-Region selection by ABCA/Rawlings, the D2CCA and the NCBWA...named to the PBC All-Tournament team
• Went 11-5 in 17 starts with a 3.01 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 119.2 innings pitched...led the PBC in innings worked and wins...was third in the league in ERA and eighth in opponent batting average and strikeouts