The Starting Lineup- 02/19/2026

As I sit down to type this “daily” entry, today on February 9th, the feeling of a new beginning lurks.  College baseball as we know it returns on Friday, representing not only the start of the premier athletic season on the calendar, but also the sport that has withstood the consequences of a changing landscape in collegiate athletics.  While college football has become a product of suits and corporate greed and college basketball has become a product of annual roster turnover, it’s college baseball that reduces the alienations of its fans.

The irony of those who attempt to, literally grow the game, whether using a virtue signaling hashtag or not, is that the nicheness of our product is part of what makes it great.  The college baseball media scene is dominated by D1Baseball, and their work speaks for itself.  After them, you have Baseball America and to a lesser extend Perfect Game, who speak on the sport but not exclusively.  Finally, you have everyone else in college baseball “media’.  Those of us who walk the line of “influencer” (whatever that means) and reporter.  College Baseball Central aims to celebrate that unique gray area on an annual basis and 2026 is no different.  We aim to be an outlet who can break the big story, offer additional insight and write 2000 words on any given topic.  Additionally, though, we hope to be a product of the fans of our sport.  We take pride in going places others have never been, for better or worse.

Entering the 2026 season, I have repeatedly told our staff, YouTube is a point of emphasis.  In the past, we’ve started live shows before becoming inconsistent in their delivery, whether that be in schedule or production value…or both.  That’s on me, it shouldn’t happen and it won’t happen anymore.  My goal is for you, the fan, to be able to go to the CBC Twitter account and/or YouTube channel and find new, engaging, frequently LIVE content every time you visit.  This means production value and clicking record when we promised we would.  Of course, our goal is to make money in all of this.  We don’t do this full time, but we would crawl through broken glass to make this a career. 

Additionally, in 2026, you may have noticed our staff has changed.  This is by design.  CBC boasts the largest staff of any college baseball media outlet I know of, especially in 2026 when there aren’t unlimited dollars in media.  A perk of doing this on the side is there are no expectations as far as financial compensation, at least not yet.  It’s time we utilize the sheer numbers we have as efficiently as possible.  In 2026, you will find consistent coverage of every program you tell us needs it.  If you feel something is lacking, DM me, we will figure it out.  

This is far from an official announcement, though as a teaser, here’s a rough outline of what you’ll be able to find on our YouTube this season.  

Moneyball- a show about finding “value” via advanced statistics and analytical insight

Riedell Report- Host Andrew Riedell navigates all things mid-major

Southern Fried Baseball- Jake Mckeever and Nick Hathcoat dive in on the SEC, twice per week

The Flyover League- While not an official CBC production, myself and Jamie Plunkett speak on all things Big 12

CBC Radio- A new call-in and mailbag driven show to mimic sports radio, hosted by me

ACC Central- The Just Means Less crew returns to discuss all things ACC… no one does it better

The Insiders Show- The College Baseball Insiders discuss all things college baseball

First Pitch by Q and Smitty-  Q-Milly and Smitty wake up the country ahead of each Saturday’s action

POSSIBLY a Friday Night Live Show Watch Party- Rotating cast