Kansas City, MO – Cumberlands baseball remained sixth in the first regular-season edition of the 2026 GoRout NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, national officials announced Wednesday afternoon. The Patriots are off to a strong 13-3 start to open the year, including a 5-3 mark at Doyle Buhl Stadium.

UC has opened up the season strong with some ranked wins, including a 15-13 victory at #5 Tennessee Wesleyan and are coming off a sweep at #14 Reinhardt. 

Through 16 games, UC has been one of the most explosive offenses in the country. The Patriots are tied for second in the NAIA with a .360 team batting average and rank third nationally with 33 home runs. Cumberlands has totaled 176 runs on 191 hits while posting a .648 team slugging percentage.

Johnboy Rittenhouse leads the team with a .467 batting average, seven home runs, and 20 RBI, while Ronald Almanzar is hitting .420 with eight home runs and 18 RBI. Caden Petrey is batting .403 with a team-high 26 RBI, and Derick Andiarena has added 10 doubles and four home runs while hitting .353.

On the mound, the Patriots have compiled a 4.06 team ERA with 158 strikeouts in 124 innings pitched. Nolan Wilson is off to a strong start with a 3-0 record and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings. Stuart Tharle has also been dominant, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings of work. Wesley Culley is 2-0 with 23 strikeouts across five starts.

UC leads all Mid-South Conference teams in the poll at No. 6. Freed-Hardeman and Campbellsville are the only other MSC programs represented and are receiving votes.

The Patriots will return to action tomorrow, March 5, when they open a three-game series against the University of Northwestern Ohio. The doubleheader is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET at Doyle Buhl Stadium.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter - @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram - @UCPatriots, TikTok - @ucpatriots, YouTube - Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.