BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins has been picked to finish first in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MSPF) Eastern Division in a preseason poll of the league's head coaches. The Blue Jays grabbed 60 points to narrowly edge out the defending champion Augustana Vikings by one point.  
 
Austin College was picked to finish third with 45 points, followed by Conn College (33) and Penn State Behrend (31) to round out the top five. Washington & Jefferson checked in at sixth in the poll (16) with Wheaton College placing seventh (15).
 
In its inaugural season in the MPSF in 2025, Johns Hopkins went undefeated during the regular season and then lost a heartbreaker in quadruple overtime to Augustana in the championship game.
 
Hopkins opens the season on Saturday, September 5 at the Navy Open as the Blue Jays take on host Navy and Air Force. The Blue Jays return a trio of All-Americans in Luke Mendelsohn, Mason Hofmann and Phillip Long. The trio also earned MPSF All-East honors, along with fellow returners Alec Baker and Andrew Lee while Mendelsohn was named the MPSF Newcomer of the Year.
 
2026 MPSF East Preseason Poll
1. Johns Hopkins • 60 points
2. Augustana • 59 points
3. Austin College • 45 points
4. Conn College • 33 points
5. Penn State Behrend • 31 points
6. Washington & Jefferson • 16 points
7. Wheaton College • 15 points