LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced their 2026 baseball preseason coaches' polls this week. Clarion was predicted to finish sixth in the PSAC West division this season.
 
Led by head coach Johnny Poss in his first year at the helm, the Golden Eagles showed they were a team on the rise in 2025, improving by eight wins from the previous year to post a 23-26 overall record. That ranked as the second-highest wins total in a single season in program history, behind only the 2005 team that won the PSAC West division and won 25 total games.
 
This year the Golden Eagles bring back a handful of top contributors, particularly in the batting order, and welcome a host of incoming transfers and freshmen. Randy Carlo and Ethan Giangiulio provide pop in the middle of the order, with Carlo slashing .335/.382/.551 last year for a .933 OPS with nine home runs and 37 RBI. Giangiulio slashed .301/.360/.385 and drove in 30 runs. Tyson Gill returns to the top of the batting order one year after posting a team-best .438 on-base percentage, scoring 42 runs and stealing 20 bases.
 
Clarion will feature many new names in the pitching rotation, including UMBC transfer Zach Kelly, who was named one of Baseball Collegian's players to watch in the Northeast. Carter Barrett is the returning pitcher with the most innings a year ago, with Barret going 3-4 with 42 strikeouts in 46.2 innings pitched. Local product Aiden Hartle improved as his freshman season progressed in 2025, finishing with a 4-2 record in 15 total appearances.