Expectations Remain High for Baseball in 2026

The Georgia Gwinnett College baseball program may have a new leader, with Head Coach Tommy Goodale, but the goals and expectations remain the same for a 2026 campaign that’s already off to a successful start.

The No. 2-ranked Grizzlies outscored Bryan College (Tennessee) 30-11 to sweep a three-game season-opening series on January 29-30. The team is preparing to travel for a four-game set against the University of Mobile (Alabama) on Friday and Saturday, February 6-7.

GGC has advanced to the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, for seven consecutive seasons, captured the national championship in 2021, was semifinalists last spring, and has posted 50 or more victories for three straight seasons.

Goodale isn’t the only newcomer for this year’s Grizzlies as only six players return from last season’s 56-7 campaign.

A core of talented juniors led the offensive charge during the season-opening weekend sweep. Shortstop Peyton Watts batted .667 batting average and hit the team’s first home run. Outfielder Jay O’Neill came around to score seven times and third baseman JJ Garcia drove in four runs as part of going 6-for-10 at the plate.

Outfielder Trey Smith drew three walks and collected four hits in eight at-bats in his GGC debut. First baseman Jackson Legg hit .364 and was one of four Grizzlies to successfully steal a base.

“Everything we do is still going to be about the triple B offense: barrels, bases and bunts. I loved that approach when I was an assistant coach here and those elements were important to me before I came to GGC, but I had never heard them being asserted in that way before,” said Goodale, who was an assistant during the program’s successful 2022 and 2023 seasons. He then went onto contributing to the coaching staffs at NCAA Division I Murray State University and LSU Eunice, a perennial junior college powerhouse.

GGC has a .376 team batting average after its first three games and collected nine doubles and two other extra-base hits among 35 hits.

“Our ability to bunt will create more hits because the infield plays in certain spots to defend the bunt. That creates holes that our hitters can exploit. We’re going to continue to work on steals (with four this season) and having baserunners going from first to third bases, putting pressure on the defense,” the coach stated.

Key returning players include senior catcher Grant Pohlman, who batted .328 and drove in 20 runs during 17 starts in 2025, and senior relief pitcher Shane Anderson, a right hander who posted a 5-1 record and struck out 42 batters in 27 innings across 18 appearances a year ago. 

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies had 10 pitchers appear in last week’s Bryan series, with nine making their GGC debuts. The staff recorded 28 strikeouts and held opposing hitters to a .231 batting average across 23 innings.

Senior left hander Gavin LeBlanc is the reigning Continental Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week after striking out seven batters across five scoreless innings in last Thursday’s season opener.

Seniors Christian Johnson, Carson Judd and Anderson each tossed a scoreless frame out of the bullpen last week. Classmate James Sells posted a victory in relief, tossing three innings in last Friday’s 7-5 triumph.

All the fresh faces on the roster have caused the 2026 season to be split into incremental segments that build toward a successful postseason. This will allow the new coaching staff and players to meld and improve through practice, road trips and challenging game situations.

“Our process-orientated philosophy will have us continuing to learn about ourselves throughout the season,” the coach said. “We’re not focused on any destination, but rather concentrating on the process of getting better throughout the season. That’s why we’ll be better at the end than at this starting point. It’s going to be an interesting and fun journey.”

GGC will host the CAC championship tournament on April 29 through May 2 at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.