Wingate Voted as SAC Preseason Favorites in Men's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The Wingate Bulldogs have been picked as the 2026 South Atlantic Conference men's lacrosse preseason favorite, the league office announced today. Wingate received seven first-place votes from the conference's head men's lacrosse coaches and 104 total points.
The Bulldogs enter the season as the team to beat in the SAC following a 15-5 campaign a season ago and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs defeated Anderson in the SAC Championship and return the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year in Kyle Spence.
Anderson was voted in at No. 2 with two first-place votes and 97 total points, while Lenoir-Rhyne earned the No. 3 spot with one first-place vote and 96 points.
Newberry placed fourth in the poll with 87 points, followed by Catawba at No. 5 with 76 points. Coker was selected sixth with 65 points, while Mars Hill earned the No. 7 position with 59 points.
Lincoln Memorial came in at No. 8 with 56 points, while Tusculum placed ninth with 44 points. Emory & Henry rounded out the poll at No. 10 with 36 points.
Opening faceoff for the 2026 men's lacrosse season will take place this afternoon. For a full schedule of games, visit www.thesac.com.
2026 SAC Men's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School (First Place Votes) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wingate (7) | 104 |
| 2 | Anderson (2) | 97 |
| 3 | Lenoir-Rhyne (1) | 96 |
| 4 | Newberry | 87 |
| 5 | Catawba | 76 |
| 6 | Coker | 65 |
| 7 | Mars Hill | 59 |
| 8 | Lincoln Memorial | 56 |
| 9 | Tusculum | 44 |
| 10 | Emory & Henry | 36 |
2026 SAC Men's Lacrosse Preseason Players to Watch
Anderson: Radyn Badraun, Ryan Bitterman, Brayden Bushnoe, Aiden Dixon, Garrett Krsul, Adin Laughlin
Catawba: Owen Conway, Steven Hernandez, Kier McKnight, Tanner Stout, Garrett Simi, Peyton Turner
Coker: Lennon Connolly, Michael Jensen, Brandon Calidonio, Ryan Forehand, Kaleb Hiltz, Elijah Utz
Emory & Henry: David Mewes, Jackson Jones, Gavin Starling, Brayden Hall, Jacob Mills, Noah Parrish
Lenoir-Rhyne: Donovan Powell, Morgan Madish, Matt Mancini, Jarrett Huff, Zack Salo, Parks Painter
Lincoln Memorial: Jenson Jones, Koen Burdette, Beckett O'Shea, Dominico Moscato, Connor Blondin, Lucas Weaver
Mars Hill: Sam Arendt, Jake Lynch, AJ Howland, Lukas Kight
Newberry: Brian Lake, Liam Vollans, Jaiden Terry, Ryan Morrison, Gage Vigar, Scott Williams
Tusculum: Luke Bowen, Tysen Fontenla, Aiden Lyman, Aiden Paczek, Jayden Rios, Ben Royer
Wingate: Kyle Spence, Joey Moran, Jaxon Grant, Graham Tillett, Quad Williams, Sam Goss