FLORENCE, SC – On Friday (Jan. 30), the Francis Marion University baseball program begins the 2026 campaign against Concord University on Cromell Field at Sparrow Stadium. The doubleheader will start at 2 p.m., followed by Game 2 at a projected start time of 5 p.m. The contest scheduled for Saturday was canceled due to wintry conditions expected in the Pee Dee region over the weekend.
 
Daily admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students with FMU students being admitted free with ID.
 
Francis Marion head coach Jeff Jefferson enters his second year at the helm for the Patriots following a successful 2025 season. FMU posted an impressive 40-13 overall record, which was a 22-win improvement from the previous year (the largest in Division II). Jefferson was named the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year and guided the program to a share of the league regular season title.
 
"Last year put us on the map and will forever be indebted to the 2025 team. The squad did a lot of great things for the program and built a reputation for us to be able to build off for the future," said Jefferson. "There will be some familiar faces but a lot of new additions out on the field, which is a good thing. I believe the talent we recruited is going to put us in a position to be successful. We should have more depth in 2026 and more options out of the bullpen."
 
The Patriots were tied for first in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll while receiving votes in three national polls (NCBWA, ABCA, and D2 Baseball). Additionally, FMU was positioned fifth in the 2026 NCBWA Preseason Southeast Region poll.
 
FMU returns 18 letterwinners for last year's squad. Headlining the returnees is redshirt junior first baseman Charlie Bussey III, who was named a D2 Baseball Preseason All-American while also being named to the NCBWA Preseason All-Southeast Region Team. Bussey III is coming off a career year for the Patriots after garnering the 2025 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year award and being selected an All-American by multiple organizations. He led the league with a .437 batting average after tallying 19 doubles, 11 home runs, and 65 runs batted in.
 
"Charlie is a level-headed and talented player who can play several different positions for us," stated Jefferson. "Our expectation for Charlie is for him to do his thing. He is a big component of our offense to produce runs. Charlie has done a great job handling all the attention he has gotten from his recognitions while also getting noticed by professional scouts."
 
Additional returnees include: senior infielder Will Dorrell (.282 average, 19 doubles, 44 RBIs), redshirt senior catcher Dariel Villaran Goundis (,309 average, 17 RBIs, 21 runs scored), senior infielder Jimmy Koza (.232 average, 29 RBIs, 44 runs scored), sixth-year outfielder Daniel Hussey (missed a majority of last season due to injury), redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Robbie Jordan (7-1 record, 67.2 IP, 57 strikeouts), senior right-handed pitcher Clayton Stewart (7 appearances, 12.1 IP, 19 strikeouts), and sophomore left-handed pitcher Jackson Madden (17 appearances, 30.1 IP, 28 strikeouts).
 
Jefferson also welcomes 24 newcomers who will don the red, white, and blue, comprised of 16 transfers and eight freshmen. The following transfers likely to contribute this season in the field are senior utility player Riley Orr (Auburn University at Montgomery), junior infielder Brandon Vargas (South Florida State College), redshirt junior catcher Zander Buchan (Jacksonville State University), junior infielder Ethan McAnally (Coastal Alabama CC), and junior outfielder Matthew Manuel (Georgia Southwestern State University).
 
On the mound, the Patriots introduce the following transfers: left-handed pitcher Aydin Palmer (University of South Carolina) and right-handed hurlers sophomore Tyler Skeen (West Liberty University), Roman Edwards (Erskine College), Jafet Martinez Delgado (Alabama State University), and junior Eze Rojas (Gulf Coast State College).
 
The freshmen duo of left-handed pitcher Garrett Long (Matthews, NC) and infielder Logan Davis (Charlotte, NC) are expected to play a significant role in 2026.
 
"Last year was disappointing after being 1-of-16 teams to win 40 games in NCAA Division II and not make the NCAA Tournament. We are going to do our best to build a resume with the competition on our schedule, so that if we perform at the level we can, we'll be in a position to be in the tournament," expressed Jefferson regarding the 2026 slate. "That is a goal we're focused on making happen."
 
Francis Marion is scheduled to play 33 Conference Carolinas games and 16 non-conference matchups. The Patriots will play a total of 10 games against opponents who made the NCAA Tournament last year, including three-game series versus North Greenville University and Young Harris College.
 
The Patriots' 49-game schedule consists of 29 home games in Sparrow Stadium, and they will begin conference play on Friday, Feb. 13, with a road series against Chowan University.
 
The opening round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament is set for April 29 in Gastonia, N.C., at CaroMont Health Park, with the event continuing through May 3.