FLORENCE, SC – Following a breakout 2025 campaign, redshirt junior first baseman Charlie Bussey III was named a 2026 D2 Baseball Preseason Second-Team All-American on Monday afternoon (Jan. 26).

The Patriots begin the 2026 season with a three-game series against Concord on Jan. 30-31 at Sparrow Stadium, with the Friday doubleheader set to start at 2 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students, with FMU students being admitted free with ID. Francis Marion tied for top spot in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll, which was released last week.

Bussey III is the reigning Conference Carolinas Player of the Year after leading the league with a staggering .437 batting average while tallying 19 doubles, 11 home runs, and 65 runs batted in. Additionally, he led the conference in on-base percentage (.545), slugging percentage (.721), and OPS (1.266). Bussey III registered a team-leading 27 multi-hit games and 18 multi-RBI contests in 52 starts. In the field, he committed only five errors in 379 fielding chances for a .987 percentage.

The Graniteville, S.C. native was named an All-American in 2025 by multiple organizations, including second-team honors from D2 Baseball.

In 2025, Francis Marion posted a 40-win campaign, which was a 22-win improvement from the previous year. The Patriots claimed a share of the Conference Carolinas regular season title and set a program record with 25 home victories at Sparrow Stadium.