STEPHENVILLE, Texas --- Three Tarleton State Baseball players earned Preseason All-WAC Team recognition, with Sergio Guerra at catcher, Slade McCloud at second base, and Rayner Heinrich in the outfield, giving the Texans three of the conference's top preseason selections. 
 
Tarleton State had the tied-most selections to the 2026 Preseason All-WAC Team, tied with Abilene Christian, the Western Athletic Conference announced on Tuesday. 
 
"It is exciting to see our guys get acknowledged for what they accomplished over the last year," head coach Fuller Smith said. "Although we know preseason accolades don't mean anything, it shows the growth of these individuals and this program over the past two years. We can't wait to get going this Friday at 3 p.m. vs. Le Moyne as we open up our 2026 spring campaign."
 
Guerra enters the 2026 season after a standout 2025 campaign in which he was named to the All-WAC Second Team. He started 39 games out of 41 appearances, posting a .354 batting average with 51 hits in 144 at-bats. Guerra recorded a .439 on-base percentage and tallied a career-high 14 doubles on the year. He had the tied-most home runs on the team with 12.
 
McCloud, a senior second baseman, earned Preseason All-WAC honors following a dominant 2025 season where he was named to the All-WAC First Team. He led the Texans with a .358 batting average, collecting 78 hits in 218 at-bats, while posting a .541 slugging percentage. McCloud scored a career-high 45 runs and stole 20 bases on the year. He was also named WAC Baseball Player of the Week on Feb. 17.
 
Heinrich, a sophomore outfielder, earned Preseason All-WAC recognition after a stellar freshman season in 2025, where he was named to the All-WAC Second Team and selected as WAC Baseball Player of the Week on March 24. Heinrich started all 50 of his games played and posted a .314 batting average with 64 hits in 204 at-bats. He also drew 22 walks and recorded a season-high five hits in a single game against Stephen F. Austin on March 22. He led the team in doubles with 19, adding six home runs. 
 
Tarleton State's three preseason selections highlight the Texans' returning experience and production as they prepare for the 2026 season. 
 
The full results of the preseason WAC polls can be found below:
2026 WAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Abilene Christian (3), 33 points 
2. Utah Valley (1), 29 points 
3. California Baptist (1), 27 points 
4. Sacramento State (2), 22 points 
5. Tarleton State, 15 points 
6. Utah Tech, 11 points 
7. UT Arlington, 10 points 

 
2026 WAC Preseason Player of the Year
Ryan Kroepel, Jr., 3B/RHP, Utah Tech
 
2026 WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Cody New, Jr., LHP, California Baptist
 
2026 Preseason All-WAC Team
C – Sergio Guerra, Sr., Tarleton State
1B – Grant Watkins, Sr., Abilene Christian
2B – Slade McCloud, Sr., Tarleton State
3B – Ryan Kroepel, Jr., Utah Tech
SS – Chris Ramirez, So., California Baptist
OF – Braden Regala, So., Abilene Christian
OF – Rayner Heinrich, So., Tarleton State
OF – Xander McAfee, Sr., UT Arlington
DH – Diego Cardenas, Sr., Abilene Christian
SP – Cody New, Jr., LHP, California Baptist
SP – Caylon Dygert, Jr., RHP, UT Arlington
RP – Ryan Kroepel, Jr., Utah Tech