Believe it or not, the 2026 high school baseball season starts next Monday.

And in the preseason The Prep Zone Power Poll, a few teams that ended last year at the top of the rankings start the new season back on top.

In split voting, defending 2A state runner-up Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) starts the season at No. 1. The Conquerors advanced to the state semifinals in Fort Myers for the second straight year last May, coming up short in the state title game to The First Academy (Orlando).

Trinity Christian had 13 baseball players sign earlier this week, including nine at the high Division I level, received five of the nine first-place votes, and were second on the other four ballots. Trinity Christian opens the 2026 season on Tuesday at home against No. 10 Suwannee (Live Oak).

Right behind the Conquerors is two-time defending 6A state runner-up Buchholz (Gainesville). The Bobcats won a state-high 33 games last season, going 33-3 and advancing back to Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. Buchholz once again shutout a state semifinal opponent in Wharton (Tampa) before being beaten by state-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) in the state title game.

Buchholz lost some Division I talent from last year, but had seven of their players sign to play college baseball earlier this week. The Bobcats receive the other four first-place votes, and they open the new season on Tuesday on the road at Chiles (Tallahassee).

Class 1A state runner-up St. John’s Country Day (Orange Park) starts at No. 3. The Spartans, who won the 1A state title two seasons ago in 2024, advanced back to Fort Myers last spring and this time finished as the state runner-up at 26-9. St. John’s Country Day lost to Canterbury (Fort Myers) in the 1A state title game last season and looks to make another run to Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers again in 2026.

Spruce Creek (Port Orange) is fourth. The Hawks (30-5) were knocked out in the Region 1-7A Final by Hagerty (Oviedo) in three games last spring.

Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) rounds out the top five. The Cardinals (23-8) were beaten by Bozeman (Panama City) in three games in the 2A region semifinals last season.

Trenton, which has advanced to the last two rural state semifinals, is sixth. The Tigers (25-4) will look for that elusive state title in 2026 as most of their players return.

Right behind Trenton is last year’s rural state runner-up, Lafayette (Mayo). The Hornets (25-3) advanced to the Final Four for the second straight year, beating Trenton in the state semifinals before losing on a walk-off in the bottom of the seventh inning to Holmes County (Bonifay) in the state title game.

Clay (Green Cove Springs), Episcopal (Jacksonville), and Suwannee (Live Oak) round out the top 10. Clay and Suwannee advanced to a region final last season and Episcopal was knocked out in the second round of the 2A playoffs by Trinity Christian.

The only Mainstreet Daily News area team in the second 10 is 11th-ranked Columbia (Lake City). St. Francis Catholic (Gainesville), Newberry and Keystone Heights are receiving votes.

The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls volleyball, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on bi-weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Be Well Fitness.

THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL– 2026 BASEBALL POLL #1 (PRESEASON POLL)

(School, followed by classification, first place votes, final 2025 record, and total voting points)

Teams in bold are inside the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area

1. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (5) (30-5) – 176

2. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (4) (33-3) – 171

3. St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) (1A) (26-9) – 159

4. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (30-5) – 146

5. Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (2A) (23-8) – 133

6. Trenton (Rural) (25-4) – 119

7. Lafayette (Mayo) (Rural) (25-3) – 118

8. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (4A) (22-11) – 108

9. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (2A) (22-8) – 100

10. Suwannee (Live Oak) (3A) (23-10) – 99

11. Columbia (Lake City) (5A) (17-12) – 77

12. Hernando (Brooksville) (3A) (20-16) – 72

13. Providence (Jacksonville) (15-12) – 63

14. University Christian (Jacksonville) (1A) (21-11) – 61

15. Bolles (Jacksonville) (2A) (17-11) – 60

16. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (18-13) – 52

17. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (19-10) – 34

18. South Sumter (Bushnell) (3A) (23-6) – 21

19. The Villages (3A) (23-8) – 19

20. St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine) (21-9-1) – 1

Also receiving votes:  Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (7-21) – 12; North Marion (Citra) (3A) (16-13) – 10; Mount Dora Christian Academy (1A) (18-15) – 9; Lake Minneola (Minneola) (6A) (23-10) – 7; Keystone Heights (2A) (19-9) – 6; Vanguard (Ocala) (4A) (21-6) – 6; Umatilla (3A) (19-16) – 4; Newberry (2A) (11-8) – 3; Fernandina Beach (3A) (19-8) – 2; Saint Francis Catholic Academy (Gainesville) (1A) (21-9) – 2; First Coast (Jacksonville) (6A) (17-11) – 1; Mount Dora (4A) (20-11) -1; West Nassau (Callahan) (3A) (19-12) – 1.