Writers Think Just as Highly of Razorbacks in Latest Preseason Poll

Arkansas opens 2026 ranked No. 5 by the NCBWA, another preseason vote that confirms expectations and quietly raises the bar.

Arkansas Razorbacks assistant coach Bobby Wernes during scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Preseason rankings don’t win games, but they do tell you where the sport thinks you belong.

That's news Hog fans can finally get really excited about, which is a positive change from most of the other sports.

According to the National College Baseball Writers Association, Arkansas belongs near the top. The NCBWA released its preseason poll Monday and slotted the Razorbacks at No. 5, continuing a familiar pattern for a program that’s become a yearly fixture in the national conversation.

That ranking doesn’t stand alone. The Hogs are already scattered throughout the preseason Top 10 across multiple polls, landing at No. 4 from Perfect Game, No. 7 from D1Baseball, No. 5 from USA Today and No. 10 from Baseball America. When different outlets keep landing on the same range, that’s less coincidence and more consensus.

Still, polls are predictions, not promises. Arkansas knows that better than most.

The Hogs are coming off a 2025 season that ended one step short of playing for a national title. Arkansas finished 50–15 overall, went 20–10 in SEC play and reached the College World Series semifinals. That résumé tends to follow you into the next year.

Preseason No. 5 🐗 pic.twitter.com/ocjoAwbMpt

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) February 9, 2026

Voters noticed. Writers noticed. Everyone noticed. Especially around Fayetteville.

But college baseball has a long memory and a short leash. Last season’s success explains the ranking. It doesn’t protect it.

That’s the balance Arkansas lives with now. The Razorbacks aren’t sneaking up on anyone, and haven’t been for years. A preseason No. 5 simply confirms what opponents already expect when they circle Arkansas on the schedule.

What’s notable about this preseason run isn’t just the number next to Arkansas’s name. It’s how consistent the numbers are.

Perfect Game has the Hogs at No. 4. USA Today agrees with the NCBWA at No. 5. D1Baseball puts them at No. 7. Baseball America rounds things out at No. 10. No wild swings or completely wild predictions.

Just a steady agreement that Arkansas belongs in the national picture.

That kind of alignment usually says more than one lofty ranking ever could. It suggests the Razorbacks aren’t being judged on hype, but on recent performance and program stability.

Of course, none of those things stop a season from going sideways.

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Peyton Lee during scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Arkansas won’t have much time to enjoy preseason validation.

The season opens Feb. 13 against Oklahoma State in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Neutral site. Big stage. Immediate measuring stick.

That’s often how these seasons start now — less easing in, more jumping straight into the deep end. Rankings look neat on paper, but early games like that tend to reorder things quickly.

For the Razorbacks, it’s an early chance to turn consensus into confirmation.

The Diamond Hogs don’t need reminders about how fragile preseason confidence can be. College baseball is long, unforgiving and rarely predictable. Injuries happen. Arms wear down. Bats cool off.

But the polls do serve one purpose: they tell you who’s expected to matter.

Right now, Arkansas clearly does.

Being ranked No. 5 doesn’t make the season successful. It just sets the bar. The rest, as always, is earned the hard way.