BSB | Saint Mary's Ranked No. 74 in D1 Baseball's Top-100 Programs
9/30/2026 3:18:00 PM | Baseball
MORAGA, Calif. - On Wednesday, September 30, D1 Baseball continued its 2026 Top-100 program rankings, releasing spots 80-71 where Saint Mary's was slotted at No. 74 for its first program ranking since 2017. The Gaels have emerged as a premier mid-major program over the last several years, making back-to-back NCAA Tournaments as well as the program's first ever regional final in the Los Angeles Regional this past June. Saint Mary's came in ahead of former West Coast Conference member Gonzaga as well as 2025 WCC Regular Season champs San Diego for the best program ranking in the WCC.
A big reason for the Gaels' re-emergence has been the return of head coach Eric Valenzuela who has combined for 106 wins over the last three seasons and currently sits as the program's all-time wins leader with 286 wins over his combined nine seasons in Moraga. Saint Mary's put together one of the most dramatic and historic postseason runs in NCAA Tournament history this past spring, knocking off No. 1 overall seed UCLA not once but twice, becoming the first four-seed in NCAA Tournament history to not just beat a No. 1 overall seed in its opening game but beat them twice to eliminate them from the national tournament.
The full release for the Saint Mary's Gaels can be found HERE or at d1baseball.com. The Gaels will continue to grind through fall ball before hosting the program's annual First Pitch Dinner which is slated for Friday, January 29 at the Soda Center on campus. Additional banquet and ticket information will be released at a later time.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
A big reason for the Gaels' re-emergence has been the return of head coach Eric Valenzuela who has combined for 106 wins over the last three seasons and currently sits as the program's all-time wins leader with 286 wins over his combined nine seasons in Moraga. Saint Mary's put together one of the most dramatic and historic postseason runs in NCAA Tournament history this past spring, knocking off No. 1 overall seed UCLA not once but twice, becoming the first four-seed in NCAA Tournament history to not just beat a No. 1 overall seed in its opening game but beat them twice to eliminate them from the national tournament.
The Gaels have made noise in those regional trips, which distinguishes them from other mid-major conference tourney winners with a propensity for 2-and-que showings", said D1 Baseball Editor-in-Chief Aaron Fit. "Saint Mary's knocked off Oregon State in the 2025 Corvallis Regional opener, then slayed a historically great No. 1 national seed UCLA twice in the 2026 Los Angeles Regional, before losing to Cal Poly in the regional final. Clearly Valenzuela and Saint Mary's are great fits for each other, and the second act is off to a rollicking start.
The full release for the Saint Mary's Gaels can be found HERE or at d1baseball.com. The Gaels will continue to grind through fall ball before hosting the program's annual First Pitch Dinner which is slated for Friday, January 29 at the Soda Center on campus. Additional banquet and ticket information will be released at a later time.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
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