The 2026 high school baseball season is quickly approaching, and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season, and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Florida.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the FHSAA state championships, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. Today, we will continue to release our 2026 Preseason Power 25 Team Rankings. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with a new team each day.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state.

*Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state, based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason.

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The #4 Jesuit Tigers (Class 4A, Region 3) enter the Preseason Power 25 as a Tampa powerhouse coming off a 25-10 season in 2025 that included a deep FHSAA Class 4A playoff run to the state semifinals. The Tigers advanced through regionals with strong wins (e.g., 9-0 over Barron Collier in region finals) but fell 3-2 to Mulberry in a tightly contested semifinal. Ranked nationally in the top 30 and highly in Florida, the Tigers return a talented senior class with elite pitching depth and experience to push for another deep postseason and contend for a state title.

Head Coach: Miguel Menendez

Follow Them: @JesuitBaseball, @jesuit_tigers_baseball

2025 Recap: Finished 25-10 overall (strong district/region performance), advancing to the Class 4A state semifinals. Highlights included solid pitching (e.g., Andersen 1.04 ERA, Waechter 0.67 ERA, Burke 0.38 ERA), balanced hitting (Waechter .423 BA, DeCarlo .392 BA), and power (Mohammed/Andersen 5 HR each).

Key Departures: Vincent DeCarlo (C/OF, .392 BA leader), Ryan Thompson, Reed Biemiller, Brody Smith (graduated senior from the semifinal run).

Top Returners and Newcomers:

A highly talented senior class with strong arms and position players, plus juniors adding depth.

• Top Returning Players:
• (2026) Wilson Andersen - RHP/MINF
• (2026) Kaden Waechter - RHP/MINF
• (2026) Cannon Murtagh - OF
• (2026) Ben Burke - LHP/OF
• (2026) Liam Amoriello - LHP
• (2026) Christian Sheffield - MIF/OF
• (2026) Jay Kirchner - INF
• (2027) Bryce Besece - C/INF
• (2027) Samir Mohammed - RHP/1B
• (2027) Griffin Boesen - LHP/OF (transfer)

Projected Starting Pitchers: Wilson Andersen, Kaden Waechter, Samir Mohammed

Projected Starting Lineup: C - Brady Marshall, 1B - Samir Mohammed, 2B - Christian Sheffield, SS - Kaden Waechter, 3B - Bryce Besece, LF - Griffin Boesen, CF - Cannon Murtagh, RF - Ben Burke.

Impact Underclassmen: Hudson Rivera (2028), Mason Greco (2028)—young talents to watch for future contributions.

Team Outlook:

Strengths: Pitching and experience

Coach's Quote: "This team is as talented a team as I've ever coached. The pitching staff is probably the best I've ever had. Just need to put all the pieces together offensively, and this group will be tough to beat."

Standout Players:

• Top Seniors (2026): Kaden Waechter (RHP/MINF), Wilson Andersen (RHP/MINF), Ben Burke (LHP/OF), Cannon Murtagh (OF), Liam Amoriello (LHP), Jay Kirchner (INF), Christian Sheffield (INF).
• Top Juniors (2027): Samir Mohammed (RHP/1B), Bryce Besece (C/INF), Griffin Boesen (LHP/OF), Jaeger Bedford (RHP), Jackson Menendez (OF), Nico Perez (RHP/INF).

Key Games to Watch: Loaded slate includes vs. IMG (Feb 19 & Mar 17), vs. Venice (Mar 13), vs. Trinity Christian (Mar 19), and NHSI in Cary, NC (Mar 25-28). Full schedule on MaxPreps/GameChanger.

At #4 in the Preseason Power 25, Jesuit returns a stacked senior class with premier pitching and experience—poised to overcome last year's semifinal exit and chase a deep run or title in Class 4A.

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