Bismarck Legacy tops 2026 baseball coaches' poll

MANDAN  –  The 2026 preseason baseball coaches poll is out and Bismarck Legacy received six first place votes to take the top spot. Mandan was second in voting and earned two first place votes. Dickinson was third. Rounding out the top five was Bismarck Century in fourth and Williston in fifth. The Coyotes’ received one first place vote.
Minot High was sixth with Bismarck High seventh in voting. The Demons picked up one first place vote. Jamestown was eighth with Minot North in ninth; Bismarck St. Mary’s in 10th and Watford City in 11th. The poll was conducted by conference coaches. One team, however, did not participate in the voting.
This marks the 26th season of WDA-sponsored baseball. Weather permitting, games will begin later this month. The conference tournament is set for May 21-23 at Bismarck’s Municipal Ballpark and hosted by Bismarck Public Schools. The top 10 teams will qualify for the posteason. The top six finishers in the standings will advance to the quarterfinal round. Two play-in games involving the seeds 7-10 (10 vs. 7; and 9 vs. 8) will determine the final two teams to move into quarterfinal play. The Division A Tournament is the May 28-30 in Minot.

2026 WDA Preseason Poll
1. Bismarck Legacy (6 first place votes)
2. Mandan (2)
3. Dickinson
4. Bismarck Century
5. Williston (1)
6. Minot High
7. Bismarck High (1)
8. Jamestown
9. Minot North
10. Bismarck St. Mary’s
11. Watford City
First place votes in parenthesis
One team did not participate in voting, therefore there is just 10 first place votes.

Photo:  Lyle Ripplinger