Helfrick, who earned preseason All-SEC recognition at catcher, played in 61 games with 56 starts as a sophomore last season, slashing .305/.420/.616 with 15 home runs and 38 RBI. The Discovery Bay, Calif., native, who recorded 14 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games in 2025, was even better in SEC play, slashing .337/.449/.635 with seven home runs and 21 RBI in 30 games against conference opponents. Defensively, Helfrick, previously named a preseason All-American by Baseball America and D1Baseball as well as a preseason watch list honoree for Baseball America’s player of the year award, was one of the best behind the dish in all of college baseball last year, committing only three errors in 629 total chances (.995 fielding percentage) and throwing out 10-of-45 attempted base stealers (.222 caught stealing percentage).
Kozeal, who garnered preseason All-SEC praise at second base, played in 60 games with 55 starts as a sophomore last season, slashing .333/.386/.606 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI in his first year as a Razorback after transferring from Vanderbilt. The Omaha, Neb., native, who earned All-SEC honors in 2025 and enters the campaign as a Baseball America preseason All-American, had 23 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI games, including three 5+ RBI games, last season.
Aloy, who collected All-SEC recognition as an outfielder, turned in an All-America campaign as a sophomore last season playing alongside his older brother, Wehiwa, and slashing .317/.404/.539 with 13 homers and a team-high 70 RBI. The Wailuku, Hawaiʻi, native, who had 20 multi-hit games and a team-best 19 multi-RBI games, was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and earned All-SEC praise at designated hitter in his first year as a Hog after transferring from BYU.
Gaeckle, who picked up All-SEC honors as a starting pitcher, made 19 appearances with nine starts on the mound as a sophomore last season, posting a 4-2 record with a 4.42 ERA and two saves in 71.1 innings of work. The right-hander from Aptos, Calif., previously named a preseason All-American by Baseball America and Perfect Game as well as a preseason watch list honoree for Baseball America’s pitcher of the year award, racked up 92 strikeouts while limiting opposing hitters to a .235 batting average during the 2025 campaign, turning in his best outing of the year at the College World Series with a career-high 10 strikeouts over six innings of one-run ball in relief against LSU.
As a team, the Hogs were predicted to finish fourth in the SEC as voted by the league’s head coaches in the preseason poll. Arkansas, which secured two votes, was one of four schools to receive first-place votes to win the conference title.
SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. LSU (9) – 231
2. Texas (1) – 214
3. Mississippi State (4) – 205
4. Arkansas (2) – 203
5. Auburn – 175
6. Tennessee – 162
7. Florida – 156
8. Vanderbilt – 151
9. Georgia – 133
10. Ole Miss - 110
11. Kentucky – 99
12. Alabama – 87
13. Texas A&M – 86
14. Oklahoma - 84
15. South Carolina – 49
16. Missouri – 31
() – First place votes
Coaches Preseason All-SEC Baseball Team
First Team
C: Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
1B: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
2B: Chris Rembert, Auburn
2B: Camden Kozeal, Arkansas
3B: Ace Reese, Mississippi State
SS: Justin Lebron, Alabama
SS: Tyler Bell, Kentucky
OF: Derek Curiel, LSU
OF: Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
OF: Henry Ford, Tennessee
DH/Util.: Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State
SP: Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
SP: Casan Evans, LSU
SP: Liam Peterson, Florida
SP: Dylan Volantis, Texas
RP: Zac Cowan, LSU
RP: Brandon Arvidson, Tennessee
RP: Luke McNeillie, Florida
Second Team
C: Chase Fralick, Auburn
C: Carson Tinney, Texas
1B: Levi Clark, Tennessee
1B: Will Furniss, Ole Miss
2B: Ethan Mendoza, Texas
3B: Brendan Lawson, Florida
SS: Steven Milam, LSU
OF: Kuhio Aloy, Arkansas
OF: Bub Terrell, Auburn
OF: Jake Brown, LSU
DH/Util: Braden Holcomb, Vanderbilt
SP: Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
SP: Connor Fennell, Vanderbilt
SP: Ben Cleaver, Kentucky
SP: Aidan King, Florida
RP: Max Grubbs, Texas
RP: Thomas Burns, Texas
RP: Clayton Freshcorn, Texas A&M