Abilene Christian (2018 Record: 21-33, 5-15)
Other than a win over TCU, there wasn’t much happening for Abilene in 2018 as they finished last in the Southland Conference.
Returning Players
Outfielder Matt Munoz returns after leading the team with a .316 average and 46 runs scored to go along with 14 doubles, 7 triples, 4 home runs, 31 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. Dalon Farkas should be back after hitting .296 in the middle of the lineup last year with 6 home runs and 35 RBI.
Jonathan Nicholson will try to lead the weekend rotation after posting a 5.60 ERA last year in 72.1 innings pitched with 44 strikeouts. Lewis Brennan led the team with a 3.95 ERA in 2018 over 54.2 innings pitched with 35 strikeouts.
Outlook for 2019
This should be a senior-heavy team in 2019, so you hope that experience helps them take a step forward in the conference.
Central Arkansas (2018 Record: 32-25, 17-13)
I was very high on Central Arkansas going into the 2018 season, but they somewhat let me down finishing fifth in the conference and going two-and-out in the Southland Tournament.
Returning Players
First baseman Tyler Smith returns to the middle of the lineup after hitting .285 last season with 42 runs scored, 16 doubles, 6 home runs, and 41 RBI. Outfielder Coby Potvin returns atop the lineup after hitting .313 a season ago.
Cody Davenport will likely anchor the pitching staff after posting a 4.37 ERA a season ago in 94.2 innings pitched with 69 strikeouts. Tanner Wiley should be back in the weekend rotation after posting a 4.14 ERA in 2018 over 74 innings pitched with 58 strikeouts. Connor Williams could be the team’s closer after posting a 3.47 ERA last year in 23.1 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts and a save.
Outlook for 2019
They lose a good from their starting lineup but should have enough depth in the pitching staff to keep them in games until he newcomers get going.
Houston Baptist (2018 Record: 29-30, 18-12)
Houston Baptist had wins over Baylor and Houston in 2018 and finished fourth in the Southland Conference. They battled their way to the Semifinals of the conference tournament.
Returning Players
Second baseman Derek Reilly and catcher Erik Voller are the only two regular starters returning from 2018, and they will need to take huge strides forward in 2019.
Zach Carter will likely lead the weekend rotation after posting a 3.87 ERA in 2018 over 109.1 innings pitched with 80 strikeouts. Brady Batten will slot behind him after starting 14 games last year with a 3.96 ERA in 88.2 innings with 69 strikeouts. JT Newton could be the team’s closer after picking up 5 saves last season.
Newcomers
“There are a lot of options on this one with 22 newcomers — CF Chase Talbot, RF Brandon Bena, and 3B Trent Franson are likely to make the biggest immediate impact.” — Quote provided by HBU Athletics Department
Outlook for 2019
“Chemistry — with so many new guys, it will be a challenge to get everyone on the same page. Our defense will be affected by the loss of Gold Glove winning SS Tyler Depreta-Johnson, so we just want the guys to be solid and not think they have to replace him. We have lost a lot of power, hitting the second-most home runs in program history last year, and obviously we have a lot of question marks in our lineup to start the season. We also had an unusual amount of injuries in the fall, so we need guys to come back this spring healthy and ready to go.” — Quote provided by HBU Athletics Department
Incarnate Word (2018 Record: 29-26, 13-17)
It was a decent season for Incarnate Word in 2018, but they finished 10th in the Southland Conference and missed the conference tournament.
Returning Players
Outfielder Eddy Gonzalez hit .372 last year with 44 runs scored, 2 home runs, and 30 RBI. Shortstop Ryan Gonzalez hit .297 with 2 home runs and 32 RBI and should be back on the infield.
Cody Allen was possibly the team’s best pitcher in 2018 with an ERA of 3.28 in 46.2 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts and 5 saves.
Newcomers
Antonio Valdez and Taylor Smith are a couple of newcomers who are expected to make an immediate impact in 2019 for Incarnate Word.
Outlook for 2019
Head coach Patrick Hallmark said the most important area they hope to improve on in 2019 is defense. They made 73 errors in 2018 for a fielding percentage of .965.
Lamar (2018 Record: 19-36, 13-17)
After successful 2016 and 2017 campaigns, Lamar took a step back in 2018 as they finished 11th in the conference and missed the Southland Tournament.
Returning Players
Robin Adames will try to lead the offense after batting .298 last season with 27 runs scored, 12 doubles, 5 home run, and 33 RBI. He is also on pace to break the career record for hits at Lamar if he gets 62 hits in 2019. George Avery, Cole Girouard, Cole Coker, and Logan LeJeune al return to the lineup as well after playing significant time in 2018.
Ryan Erickson returns as one of the best relief pitchers in teh country after posting a 1.66 ERA last year in 48.2 innings pitched with 60 strikeouts and 4 saves. Noah Sills had a 3.00 ERA in 2018 over 78 innings pitched with 50 strikeouts. He and Jason Blanchard should be in the weekend rotation this season.
Newcomers
JC Correa – Comes to Lamar already lauded as the younger brother of Houston Astros phenom Carlos Correa. JC hit .364 / .432 / .491 in 80 career games at Alvin Community College, totaling 103 hits with three home runs and 59 RBIs.
Luke Baley – Baley is a transfer from Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas. He appeared in 18 contests across two seasons with the Rebels, striking out 47 batters in just 34.2 innings of work.
Anthony Quirion – Transferring in from Clarendon College, is originally from Dixville, Quebec, Canada. He hit .398 in his two-year Clarendon career with 35 doubles, nine triples, 21 home runs, 100 RBI, 127 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases.
Jorge Gutierrez – Played at Texas A&M for a season, appearing in 37 games, including 22 starts, at catcher. Looking for other opportunities, Gutierrez then transferred to Alvin Community College, where he hit .295 / .614 / .391 in 42 games as a Dolphin with 39 hits, including 11 homers.
Jared Mack – A right-handed pitcher from Missouri City, Texas, is ranked by Perfect Game as the best prospect in the 2019 freshman class. Mack is rated the 51st best player overall in the state of Texas and the 27th best right-handed pitcher and was named a PG Honorable Mention All-American.
Braydon Credeur – Comes to Lamar after playing varsity baseball at Nederland HS and summer ball with Gladiator Baseball. He’s ranked as the 123rd best player in the state of Texas and the 60th best right-hander. He also earned an Honorable Mention All-American nod from PG in 2018.
Josh Hranicky – Gladiator Baseball teammate of Credeur and played his high school ball at Port Neches-Groves. He ranks as the 147th best player in the state and the 19th best southpaw pitcher. Hranicky too was named to the PG Honorable Mention All-American team.
- Notes provided by Lamar Athletics Department
Outlook for 2019
The team is hoping their hitting improves in 2019 after one of their tougest seasons at the plate in a while as they were down in almost every offensive category. They are also looking to improve defensively after committing 77 errors in 2018. Lamar also figures to be much more experienced in 2019.
McNeese State (2018 Record: 26-32, 15-15)
They had out-of-conference wins over Mississippi State and Houston in 2018, while finishing sixth in the conference. They went 0-2 in the Southland Tournament.
Returning Players
Outfielder Shane Selman should be back atop the lineup after hitting .273 last season with 39 runs scored, 12 doubles, 9 home runs, and 29 RBI. In 2017 he hit .333 with 14 home runs and 59 RBI, so coaches are hoping he gets back to that level of production. Carson Maxwell has a chance to break out this season after hitting .298 in 2018 with 30 runs scored, 6 home runs, 37 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.
Aidan Anderson should return as the team’s closer after posting a 3.38 ERA in 2018 over 61.1 innings pitched with 70 strikeouts and 6 saves. Cayne Ueckert will have a big role in the pitching staff after posting a 4.40 ERA last year in 59.1 innings pitched with 55 strikeouts.
Newcomers
Clayton Rasbeary – a physical presence that will hopefully provide some power from the left side in the middle of the lineup.
Jon Ellison – a left-handed arm that throws a lot of strikes. Can see him eating up a lot of significant innings for us this year.
Jake Dickerson – good baseball player that finds alot of different ways to be successful.
- Notes provided by Head Coach Justin Hill
Outlook for 2019
“We hope to have some more depth on the mound, as well as from a position player standpoint. Having some more depth on both sides of the ball should hopefully keep guys fresh and healthy throughout the year.” — Head Coach Justin Hill
New Orleans (2018 Record: 29-32, 14-16)
Wins over Texas and Southern Miss highlighted a 2018 season in which New Orleans finished eighth in the conference and then fought their way to the Southland Tournament finals before losing to Northwestern State.
Returning Players
Catcher Beau Bratton is back after hitting .315 a season ago with 37 runs scored, 12 doubles, 5 triples, 2 home runs, and 41 RBI. Collin Morrill should be back atop the lineup after hitting .292 last season with 47 runs scored. Outfielder Pearce Howard hit .288 last year with 38 runs scored, 11 doubles, 7 home runs, and 38 RBI.
Brayson Smith made 10 starts last year with a 4.58 ERA in 53 innings pitched with 52 strikeouts. John Barr threw big innings out of the bullpen last year with a team-best 2.04 ERA in 66.1 innings pitched with 68 strikeouts.
Outlook for 2019
There are a lot of key pieces coming back to the lineup and in the pitching staff that should allow this team to contend in 2019. They will need to find some depth in the pitching staff.
Nicholls State (2018 Record: 28-32, 14-16)
Wins over Mississippi State and Purdue highlighted the 2018 season. Also, after finishing seventh in the conference they made their way to the semifinals of the Southland Tournament.
Returning Players
Second baseman Ethan Valdez returns atop the lineup after hitting .303 last year with 56 runs scored, 13 doubles, and 26 RBI. Dillon Belle hit .324 last season in just 74 at-bats with 4 home runs. Third baseman Brady Bell hit .330 in 2018 with 35 runs scored, 14 doubles, and 25 RBI.
Parker White made eight starts last year and had a 4.16 ERA in 62.2 innings pitched with 34 strikeouts. Jake Bedevian will throw a lot of big inning for Nicholls in 2019 after tossing 93.1 innings last year.
Newcomers
Austin France (SO – OF/1B), Chris Sandberg (JR – C), Trever Kilcrease (JR – RHP), Shane Mejia (FR – LHP), and Nick Hill (FR – RHP).
Outlook for 2019
“We look to improve on the mound in 2019. We have brought in a solid combination freshmen and transfers to add depth to our pitching staff. Fall practice showed a much improved pitching staff with deep bullpen depth.” — Associate Head Coach Walt Jones
Northwestern State (2018 Record: 38-24, 18-12)
Northwestern State had an outstanding 2018 season as they finished third in the Southland Conference and then rolled through the conference tournament to earn a spot in the Corvallis Regional where they went 1-2.
Returning Players
Outfielder/DH JP Lagreco hit .279 in 2018 with 35 runs scored, 12 doubles, 4 home runs, and 37 RBI. Sam Taylor hit .235 with 6 home runs and 42 RBI last year, while Caleb Ricca hit .265 with 36 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. Both Taylor and Ricca will play on the infield.
They have all three weekend starters back from 2018 in LHP-Ridge Heisler, RHP-Jerry Maddox, and RHP-Nathan Jones. Heisler had a 3.40 ERA last year in 95.1 innings pitched with 77 strikeouts. Jones posted a 3.84 ERA in 103 innings pitched with 72 strikeouts, while Maddox had a 1.88 ERA in 86 innings pitched with 66 strikeouts.
Newcomers
Marshall Skinner and Jakob Nunez will both come in and compete for playing time behind the plate, while Hilton Brown and Hayden Brown hope to see playing time on the infield. Right-handed pitcher Peyton Graham will give the pitching staff a boost.
Outlook for 2019
“We hope to improve all areas of our game from year-to-year. We need some guys to step up replacing David Fry and Kwan Atkins.” – Head Coach Bobby Barbier
Sam Houston State (2018 Record: 39-20, 24-6)
Sam Houston State had a great 2018 regular season with some big wins over Vanderbilt, Baylor, and Houston. And despite being ranked most of the year, they were left out of the postseason after going 1-2 in the Southland Tournament.
Returning Players
Outfielder Hunter Hearn hit .294 last year with 39 runs scored, 12 doubles, 9 home runs, and 39 RBI. Clayton Harp will also be back in the outfield after hitting .323 in 2018 with 34 runs scored, 5 home runs, and 29 RBI. Jordan Cannon will take on a bigger role in the offense this season as well after hitting .259 last year.
Hayden Wesneski has a chance to be the Friday night starter after posting a 3.50 ERA in 2018 over 97.2 innings pitched with 67 strikeouts. Seth Ballew became a solid weekend starter for them last year after posting a 3.00 ERA in 81 innings pitched with 57 strikeouts. Nick Mikolajchak posted a 4.19 ERA in 73 innings last year with 54 strikeouts working both as a reliever and as starter. Brad Demco is a two-way player who posted a 3.09 ERA last year in 23.1 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts.
Newcomers
Colton Cowser is a freshman who the coaching staff is very high on. He has a chance to play in the outfield and hit at the top of the lineup. Jackson Loftin has a chance to start at shortstop, while Diego Davila could hit in the middle of the order. Matt Dillard was drafted last season and will be an impact arm to add to the pitching staff.
Outlook for 2019
Sam Houston State is always focused on their execution as they pride themselves on doing the little things well in every game. They lose a couple of key players from 2018 in Andrew Fregia (draft) and Blake Chisolm (graduation/draft), so those will be big holes to fill in the lineup. They will look to some young guys to fill those holes, but they believe they have the talent to continue to score runs.
Southeastern Louisiana (2018 Record: 37-22, 21-9)
Southeastern Louisiana had a solid 2018 season with five wins over ranked teams (UConn, LSU, Miss. St., UL Lafayette, and Houston). But, unfortunately, they went 1-2 in the Southland Tournament and were left out of the postseason.
Returning Players
Second baseman Cody Grosse is back after hitting .314 last year with 56 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. First baseman Kyle Schimpf hit .249 last year with 7 home runs and 45 RBI. Outfielder Nathan Pilutti and catcher Evan Pace are expected to take on bigger roles in the lineup this year.
Trey Shaffer is a two-way play who see time in the outfield and on the mound. Last season he posted a 3.90 ERA in 30 innings with 35 strikeouts and a save. Carlisle Koestler should be back to lead the weekend rotation after posting a 2.68 ERA in 2018 over 87.1 innings pitched with 73 strikeouts. Corey Gaconi had a 3.15 ERA last year in 80 innings pitched with 62 strikeouts. Kade Granier made seven starts last year and could move into the weekend rotation. Will Warren was solid out of the bullpen last year with a 3.04 ERA in 23.2 innings pitched with 18 strikeouts and 2 saves.
Newcomers
Elijah Johnson is a JUCO transfer who is expected to take over at third base this year. Jonathan Parker is a transfer from Louisiana Tech who will compete for time behind the plate.
Noah Hughes (RHP) and Nick Flesher (LHP) are both JUCO transfers who will add some depth to the pitching staff. Hughes spent his freshman season at Mississippi State.
Outlook for 2019
“Defense has a chance to be much improved with third baseman Elijah Johnson. The pitching staff has a ton of veterans and should be able to pitch even lower than last year’s team ERA. If defense is improved as planned to be, it should make for a very tough team to score against. The offensive pieces back must make strides a year better. A lot of returners in the lineup that have the ability to produce much more than they did a year ago.” – Head Coach Matt Riser
Stephen F. Austin (2018 Record: 17-36, 9-21)
Stephen F. Austin started the year losing 10 in a row and things never really picked up from there as they finished next to last in the conference.
Returning Players
Outfielder Jared Martin should be back in the middle of the lineup after hitting .284 last season with 39 runs scored, 18 doubles, 5 home runs, and 32 RBI. Third baseman Jake Georgiades returns after leading the team with a .333 average last year.
Jesus Gamez led the team with a 4.55 ERA in 2018 over 29.2 innings pitched with 36 strikeouts and 2 saves. If healthy, Dru Dziedzic should be a big arm for SFA in 2019.
Outlook for 2019
They will need to show a lot of improvement in the pitching staff, which posted a team ERA of 6.97 last year.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2018 Record: 30-26, 14-16)
The Islanders had a great start to the season as they swept the Kleberg Bank College Classic, which included a win over Mississippi State. They also had a win over Oklahoma. However, they struggled in conference play and just missed out on making the conference tournament.
Returning Players
Itchy Burts will be back atop the lineup after hitting .401 last year in 137 at-bats with 22 runs scored and 7 stolen bases. He’ll move from second base to the outfield this season. Enrique Sanchez will be the run producer for them this year after hitting .367 in 158 at-bats in 2018 with 1 home run and 29 RBI. He could play some third and first base this year. Drake Osborn will be back behind the plate with his excellent arm. He hit .293 last year with 6 home runs and 36 RBI.
Dustin Lacaze should retain his spot as the team’s Friday night starter after posting a 5.40 ERA a season ago over 61.2 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts.
Newcomers
“Joey Werner is a dynamic athlete that is also a hardnosed competitor. He spent a large part of his first fall here playing right field, but we ended up moving him to center field because he can go run down the baseball as good as any player in our league. Above average left-handed hitter combined with his blue collar work ethic should make him one of the top five players in the southland conference.
“Josh Berman is a third baseman from Orange Coast junior college in California. Josh Donaldson-type player – pure hitter with above average power that plays the game loose and easy.
“Hayden Thomas is a true freshman right-handed pitcher. Heh will have an immediate impact on the Islander pitching staff. He can pitch in multiple roles — could be a starter at times and would have no problem having him close out a game on opening weekend.” – Head Coach Scott Malone
Outlook for 2019
“Outfield defense has an opportunity to be as good as it’s ever been. Most days we will have three center field-type defenders at all three spots in the outfield. The pitching staff does not have the high celling-type shutdown starter. Depth of the pitching staff should be a strength if this group of pitchers can commit to attacking the strike zone. Our team defense should allow us to win a lot of games this spring.” – Coach Malone
2019 All-Southland Preseason Team
C: Drake Osborn (Texas A&M CC)
1B: Robin Adames (Lamar)
2B: Cody Grosse (Southeastern Louisiana)
SS: Ryan Gonzalez (Incarnate Word)
3B: Carson Maxwell (McNeese State)
OF: Matt Munoz (Abilene Christian)
OF: Shane Selman (McNeese State)
OF: Pearce Howard (New Orleans)
DH: Dalon Farkas (Abilene Christian)
SP: Zach Carter (Houston Baptist)
SP: Jerry Maddox (Northwestern State)
SP: Carlisle Koestler (Southeastern Louisiana)
SP: Hayden Wesneski (Sam Houston State)
SP: Ridge Heisler (Northwestern State)
RP: Ryan Erickson (Lamar)
RP: Cody Allen (Incarnate Word)
RP: Aidan Anderson (McNeese State)
Honorable Mention:
C – Beau Bratton (New Orleans)
1B – Tyler Smith (Central Arkansas)
2B – Ethan Valdez (Nicholls)
3B – Brady Bell (Nicholls)
OF – Eddy Gonzalez (Incarnate Word)
OF – Itchy Burts (Texas A&M CC)
OF – Clayton Harp (Sam Houston State)
OF – Jared Martin (SFA)
SP – Corey Gaconi (Southeastern Louisiana)
SP – Nathan Jones (Northwestern State)
SP – Seth Ballew (Sam Houston State)
SP – Brady Batten (Houston Baptist)
SP – Noah Sills (Lamar)
RP – John Barr (New Orleans)
Predicted Order to Finish:
1. Sam Houston State
2. Northwestern State
3. Southeastern Louisiana
4. New Orleans
5. Lamar
6. Central Arkansas
7. McNeese State
8. Houston Baptist
9. Texas A&M CC
10. Nicholls State
11. Incarnate Word
12. Stephen F. Austin
13. Abilene Christian
