Kansas City, MO – Cumberlands baseball moved up to No. 5 in the final 2026 GoRout NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, national officials announced Wednesday afternoon. It marks the Patriots highest ranking of the season as they move into postseason play.

The Patriots have put together another outstanding campaign, compiling a 41-8 overall record, including a dominant 16-2 mark in Mid-South Conference play. UC has been strong in all facets, going 21-6 at home and 16-1 on the road while establishing itself as one of the top teams in the NAIA.

Offensively, Cumberlands has been one of the most explosive teams in the country, batting .353 as a team with 571 hits and 106 home runs on the season. Ronald Almanzar leads the way with a team-high 22 home runs and a .402 batting average to go along with 67 RBI, while Derick Andiarena is hitting .408 with 16 home runs and 75 RBI. Johnboy Rittenhouse has also been a key contributor, batting .413 with 14 home runs and 64 RBI, while Caden Petrey has added 17 home runs and 63 RBI on the year.

On the mound, the Patriots have relied on a deep pitching staff that has compiled a 4.54 ERA with 438 strikeouts across 377 innings pitched. Wesley Culley leads the rotation with an 8-1 record and 72 strikeouts, while Nolan Wilson has posted a 7-1 mark with 54 strikeouts. Brayden Stewart has been dominant out of the bullpen and in spot starts, going 6-0 with 57 strikeouts, while Justin Cortez has added a 4-0 record with four saves.

The Patriots will return to the field tomorrow in an elimination game at the Mid-South Conference Tournament, facing the loser of No. 2 Freed-Hardeman and No. 5 Campbellsville. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. CT.

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.