Demorest, Georgia - The Piedmont University baseball team has had its share of accolades in the 2026 season, and the awards continue to pour in with the latest news of Head Coach Justin Scali being named the Region Coach of the Year for Region VI by the American Baseball Coaches Assocation (ABCA).

Scali's honor might be bringing to light the South's worst kept secret that so many in the Piedmont circle have known for years - that the long-time Lions coach is one of the best in the South and likely now viewed as one of the top coaches in the country with what his team was able to accomplish this season. 

The 2026 Piedmont baseball team put together one of the most clutch runs seen by any team in the country this season.  Following a Thursday night loss to conference-member Huntingdon at Loudermilk Field, the Lions faced a fork in the road with a chance at a bid to nationals seemingly on the horizon. 

The boys of spring came out the next day and quickly found themselves down 2-0 and in danger of dropping only their second season series all season but a second in a row to a conference foe.  

With the season on the brink, Piedmont responded as only true Lions baseball fans could appreciate by chipping away at the Hawks' lead to not only climb back in the game and the series but to make an emphatic statement winning 7-2 before going on the next day to win and claim the series. 

That pair of victories were the first of nine straight down the stretch with the remaining seven in the streak all coming in postseason play as Piedmont swept both the CCS tournament and the NCAA Regional, claiming the baseball program's first Regional since the program became a NCAA member beginning with the 2004 season. 

Scali helped turn that tide taking his 24-13 team contending for a conference regular season title to a 33-win team contending for a NCAA Division III crown falling only to the eventual national champion Denison University in the Super Regional round.  

For his efforts behind the scenes, several Lions took home individual honors this season with the highest of those so far being a pair of All-Americans in Cody Funk and Luke Manry.  The team claimed another CCS crown and returned to the NCAA National Tournament for the first time in 15 years.  

The American Baseball Coaches Association and ATEC recognize the 2026 National Coaches of the Year in all collegiate and high school divisions. The ABCA/ATEC National and Regional Coaches of the Year are selected by members of the ABCA, with the process led by the ABCA All-America & Coach of the Year committees in all nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division, and High School.