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  • Stuart Completes Long Journey from Bahamas to Memphis by way of Texas, Louisiana

    Stuart Completes Long Journey from Bahamas to Memphis by way of Texas, Louisiana

    Matt Smith/Memphis Athletics

    Memphis second baseman overcame injury to set records before transferring for final season

    Long Road to Memphis

    When Daunte Stuart was 14 years old, his parents moved the family from the Bahamas to the United States so his parents could attend college in Houston, Texas.

    One of the things that traveled with Stuart on that long journey to the U.S.—his love of baseball.

    “Growing up living in the Bahamas it’s different than over here,” Stuart said. “The biggest difference is that I was around family so much and the culture. It’s a smaller place where I’m from and I got to play a lot of baseball with my childhood friends.”

    In Houston, Stuart played baseball for Woodlands High School before committing to Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  

    While at Northwestern State Stuart made his mark.

    He tied the single-game school hitting record with three doubles, which scored two runs, in a loss against Stephen F. Austin.

    During his senior season, he ranked second on the team with 40 RBIs and tied for third with seven home runs. Stuart broke the school record in single-game total stolen bases and single-game home runs (3).  

    His impressive season at Northwestern State caught the attention of Memphis, who reached out to Stuart when he announced his decision to enter the transfer portal as a graduate student for his last year of eligibility.  

    Stuart saw the chance to play for the Tigers as an opportunity to have his best season yet.

    “I thought that Memphis would be a great program for me to play one of my best seasons possible,” Stuart said. “And be part of a team that I see having a successful season.”

    The main goal for his final season? Putting it all out on the field so that when he looks back on his time at Memphis he can say he gave it his best.

    Bouncing back from injury   

    A few years ago Stuart’s chances of playing for Memphis or any other school were in jeopardy.

    In the last game of his Sophomore season at Northwestern State, he fractured his hamate bone, which forced him to be out for the entire summer.

    When he returned for fall ball, the hamate bone fractured again, and surgery was needed right before his junior season.  

    “That whole process was a tough mental battle because I never had surgery before,” Stuart said. “So having to deal with that and understanding what it’s like to come back from a serious injury helped me become a stronger ball player.”

    Missing out on baseball for seven months was a major setback, especially because the injury prevented him from being able to swing a bat. Despite months of recovering, Stuart said the injury made him stronger.

    It was an emotional ride for Stuart, who felt like he was having to relearn how to swing a bat. But he came back in a big way.

    The second baseman posted a career-high five hits in a game his junior season and went 4-for-9 with a double, four RBIs, and a home run in a doubleheader sweep of Alcorn State University.  

    “It’s easy to put in work when you just had a good game but when you haven’t got a hit in your last five or six games that shows this is something I really want to do,” Stuart said. “You have to love baseball and it has to be a part of who you are.”  

    Despite all the adversity, Stuart’s success on the baseball field is centered around his love for the game and those who inspire him to become the best version of himself.  

    Through the obstacles and challenges, Stuart defeated the odds and kept grinding no matter the circumstances. Stuart looks to finish his collegiate career with the Memphis Tigers baseball team, knowing that he left it all out there on the baseball field.  

  • Tigers Win Rollercoaster Game Against Bowling Green

    Tigers Win Rollercoaster Game Against Bowling Green

    The Memphis Tigers Baseball team have evened the series against Bowling Green after a close 14-13 win.  New transfer Will Marcy hit the deciding single in the bottom of the Ninth as the Tigers showed resilience after losing an early ten point-lead.

    During the first four innings, Memphis held Bowling Green scoreless while scoring in every single outing. The Tigers offense started on fire scoring multiple runs with Riley Davis hitting a three-run home run. This led to a 10-0 lead after four inning. The fifth inning seemed to be the turning point for BGSU, as batter Nathan Archer hit a Grand slam to bring the life back into the offense. This sparked a flame as Bowling Green scored seven runs in the top of the sixth inning to take the lead for the first time on the afternoon with 11-10.

    After Archer’s Grand slam, the Tigers pulled their starting pitcher Luke Ellis. During the next innings, the Tigers went through Jonah Posey, Seth Garner and Kylan Strepter at pitcher, but none of them could keep the Bowling Green hitters from scoring. So, after the eighth inning, BGSU led the game 13-12.

    • Breydan Sanders celebrates after getting two big strikeouts in the ninth inning. Photo: Florian Krempel
    • Seth Cox with a big hit to the left outfield. Photo: Florian Krempel

    Tigers head coach Matt Riser made the deciding pitcher change at the start of the ninth inning and went with Brayden Sanders. This proved to be the right decision as Sanders had two huge strikeouts to get out of the top of the ninth. After the game, Riser praised Sanders’ qualities.

    “He is a closer. We had him ready to come in and we needed him today. He is one of our best arms and we need to get him more out there in these situations”.

    After going scoreless for three of the four innings from the fifth to the eighth, the Tigers offense showed off when they were needed in the last inning. Coach Riser said, he had to get his guys back into the game after the eleven points run by BGSU.

    “I told them: Just relax and go play for me,” said Riser. “We played really good in the beginning, now let’s play good at the end of the game.”

    After a Pierre Seals walk and a single by Alex Fernandes, the Tigers managed to tie the game. With the bases loaded, it was NC State transfer Will Marcy at bat. His walk-off single drove in the deciding run for the 14-13 victory for the Tigers.

    After the game, coach Riser explained that he hopes that this game also has a mental effect on the team after losing a similar game to Little Rock the week before.

    “Definitely a game that can swing the momentum. Now, we won one like that. This gives us more confidence to go out late in these close games.”

    Tomorrow will be the third game in the series with the Tigers hoping to win their first weekend matchup. At the press conference, Matt Riser highlighted the importance of tomorrow’s match.

    “Sunday is the day you put your heart out on. You need to win Sunday. If you win Sunday, you either winning the series or sweeping the series nine times out of ten.”

    Sunday’s game will see Caden Robinson making his second start of this season. Coach Riser said he trusts in Robinson to finish out the series Sunday.

    “To have that guy on Sunday, a guy, who works with a great tempo and fills the zone up. We feel very good about it.”

    The final game of the series against Bowling Green will start at 1 pm at FedEx Park.

  • Memphis Drops First Game in Series Against Bowling Green

    Memphis Drops First Game in Series Against Bowling Green

    “It was an embarrassing outing to be honest with you”

    Matt Riser

    The Tigers struggled Friday in their opening game against Bowling Green, dropping a 9-1 game behind great pitching and hitting from Bowling Green’s DJ Newman and other hot bats for the Falcons.

    The game was tied 0-0 through three innings until a single by Garrett Wright drove in a run for the Falcons. That was followed up by a Newman double that plated two more runners, making a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

    David Warren who got the start for the Tigers was pulled after 4 and 2/3 innings of work. After he was pulled, the Falcons loaded the bags and scored one run on a walk making it 4-0 through five innings.

    In the seventh inning, Leighton Barnjoff hit a two-run home run to add more cushion to the Falcons lead, moving it to 6-0. Also in the seventh inning, Newman hit double digit strike outs for the first time in his career.

    With Malik Harris on the mound in the eighth, he gave up another run after a dropped fly ball in center field allowed a Falcon runner to come in from third. Landon Willeman came into pitch for the Falcons, came in for a hot Newman who finished with 11 strikeouts, a career high.

    Despite not contributing on the mound anymore, Newman wasn’t done. He hit a two-run home run off of Brandon Chorzelewski in the top of the ninth to give the Falcons a 9-0 lead.

    The Tigers were able to drive in their only run of the game as Seth Cox who was pinch hitting for Aaron Smigelski, hit a line drive into left field that past the diving glove of Gavin Gunan. That hit allowed Aaron Davis to score from second giving us the final score of 9-1.

    With the loss, the Tigers move to 2-4 on the season. They will look to even the series against the Falcons tomorrow at 2 p.m.

  • The AAC Off to Slow Start With 18-20 Record.

    The AAC Off to Slow Start With 18-20 Record.

    It has been a rough start to the season for the AAC. With the first weekend of games done the AAC’s combined record is below .500.

    East Carolina University Pirates

    They opened their season at home against the Rider Broncos. The Pirates pulled off the three game sweep, outscoring the Broncos 30-2. Then on Tuesday they faced Campbell losing that game 6-7. They face North Carolina this upcoming weekend.

    University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers

    The 49ers also started their 2024 campaign at home, taking on Virginia Tech. The 49ers struggled losing their first two games to the Hokies, but taking the last on Sunday. After losing the weekend series they bounced back with a 24-1 win over Davidson. They stay home to face West Virginia.

    University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners

    The Roadrunners battled the Mavericks of UT Arlington with the series ending in a 2-2 tie. It was a close series as three of the four games only being decided by 1 run. They then traveled to Tarleton St. losing the one game 10-14. They now go east to play in the Sugarland Classic.

    Florida Atlantic University Owls

    The Owls took on the no. 6th ranked Vanderbilt Commodores to start the season. They were able to upset in one game winning 5-4 on Saturday. That would be the only game that weekend they would win as they would lose to Vanderbilt 11-1 in the final game of the series. They have their home opener against Towson next.

    University of South Florida Bulls

    The Bulls had three of their five games this past week canceled or postponed. The two games they were able to play they lost to UCONN and Indiana St. They take on Marist College this weekend at home.

    Wichita State University Shockers

    The Shockers went south to Little Rock to take on the Trojans for their opening series. They would win the series 2-1 and outscored the Trojans 36-10 over the three games. They go further south this weekend to play in the Jax College Baseball Classic.

    Rice University Owls

    The Owls hosted the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to start the season. However, it did not go to plan as they lost all three games. They did win their midweek game beating Sam Houston St. 7-3. They now go to Lafayette, LA to face the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.

    Tulane University Green Wave

    The Green Wave were one of four teams to out right win their weekend series. They had Northwestern come into town and won their Saturday and Sunday games. They then hosted Nicholls St. on Tuesday, winning that game 3-2. This weekend they play at home once again to take on UC Irvine in a three game series.

    University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers

    The Blazers also enjoyed a winning weekend against Kennesaw St. taking the last two games of the series. They took on Auburn on Wednesday, losing to the Tigers 2-7. They face Southeastern Louisiana this weekend at home.

  • Memphis Run Rules Central Arkansas with Record-Tying Home Runs

    Memphis Run Rules Central Arkansas with Record-Tying Home Runs

    The University of Memphis baseball team won their home opener Wednesday against Central Arkansas 14-4 in eight innings. The Tigers came into this game with a 1-3 record after 10-4 loss to the Little Rock Trojans.

    Memphis came out looking to improve after the loss the day before. The Tigers tied the program record for home runs, totaling seven in the game, the most since 2001.

    “It was important to come back like we did and defend our home turf,” coach Matt Riser said. “We’re continuing to learn on the fly as we go forward.”

    Roshawn Miller/Tigerpen Memphis
    Tiger Pierre Seals celebrates his second home run of the day against Central Arkansas on Wednesday. Seals and the Tigers recorded a record-tying seven home runs in the 14-4 win.

    Central Arkansas took an early 3-0 lead in the second inning, but Memphis would respond with a home run from Pierre Seals that scored teammate Daunte Stuart to close the lead to 3-2.  The Tigers closed the door on Central Arkansas, allowing only one run for the remainder of the game. 

    Senior Jake Curtis would perform on both sides of the ball, totaling three hits, including a double and a home run. He also took the mound in the seventh inning and tallied three strikeouts.

    “Every player on this team gives me confidence,” said Curtis. We had a bad day yesterday, but it’s all about the bounce back.”

     Memphis had six players get multiple hits, and Coach Riser loved it after being “bullied” by Arkansas Little Rock. Senior third baseman Austin Baskin recorded a team high four RBIs, with two hits, both being home runs in four at bats. 

    Brennan DuBose celebrates home run during the Tigers win over Central Arkansas on Wednesday.

    “It felt great after last night to be able to come in and find barrels left and right”, Baskin said. “We knew coming into the park today that with the wind blowing all we had to do was get it up in the air.”

    CJ Willis would close the game for Memphis on a pinch-hit RBI double to extend the lead to 14-4, ending the game in eight innings. 

    Memphis tallied a total of 17 hits in the game, while also collecting 43 total bases from seven home runs, five doubles, five singles, the second most since 2010.

    The Tigers will return to FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m., as they face Bowling Green in the first game of three in a weekend series at home.

  • Memphis Baseball Bested by Arkansas Little Rock in Midweek Showdown

    Memphis Baseball Bested by Arkansas Little Rock in Midweek Showdown

    LITTLE ROCK, ARK – Arkansas Little Rock dominated Memphis from start to finish, winning 10-4. The Tigers could never string together productive at-bats, as they were held to four hits on the afternoon. On the contrary, the Trojans of UALR quadrupled that number, totaling 16 base knocks. Memphis Head Coach Matt Riser said the team did not counter the Trojan’s early onslaught.

    “I just wasn’t pleased with our effort,” Riser said. “We gave up three in the first and didn’t respond very well.” 

    Memphis sophomore starting pitcher Cade Davis was rudely greeted by the bats of Arkansas Little Rock. Trojan second baseman Skyler Trevino led the charge, tallying four hits and two RBIs. UALR chased Davis from the game after 3 2/3 innings of work, allowing five earned runs and eight hits.  

    A pair of Trojan errors kept Memphis within striking distance early, but to no avail. The Tigers were sent down in order in five out of nine innings. Arkansas Little Rock starting pitcher Jack Cline gave the Trojans a quality outing, giving up two runs on as many hits in 4 2/3 innings.  

    The lone standouts offensively for Memphis were second baseman Duante Stuart and right fielder Pierre Seals, as the duo collected each of the Tigers’ four hits. Stuart’s double in the fourth inning represented the only extra-base hit of the day for Memphis.  

    Seals had a pair of RBI singles, and catcher Jonah Sutton drove in the other two runs for the Tigers with a sacrifice fly and a fielder’s choice.  

    Memphis went to the bullpen three times in the contest. Seth Garner, Jackson Lyons, and Malik Harris each took the mound for the Tigers.  

    Memphis third baseman Austin Baskin committed the Tigers’ only error of the afternoon in the 8th inning. The mishap proved to be costly, as the runner came around to score later in the inning.  

    Trojan reliever Thomas Kuykendall was a key part of the victory. He struck out seven batters and allowed one earned run in 4 1/3 innings. Kuykendall shut down any attempt at a comeback for Memphis by retiring the last nine batters of the game in order.  

    Memphis drops to 1-3 on the season. The Tigers return to Memphis tomorrow for their home opener against Central Arkansas. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at FedEx Avron Fogelman Field.  

  • Jacksonville State Rallies Late to Stun Memphis in Extra Innings to Take the Series

    Jacksonville State Rallies Late to Stun Memphis in Extra Innings to Take the Series

    JACKSONVILLE, ALA – Jacksonville State took the season opening series from Memphis in dramatic fashion Sunday. Down 9-2 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Gamecocks rallied to a 13-9 victory in 11 innings.

    “We’ve got to firgure out how to finish games,” Memphis coach Matt Riser said after the game. “If we could finished games, we would be 3-0, but instead we are 1-2.”

    This game featured Jackson Sleeper of the Gamecocks and Caden Robinson of the Tigers getting the nod as starting pitchers for their respective teams. Both players started out strong, as the first two innings were scoreless.

    JSU began scoring in the third inning after Derrick Jackson Jr. hit a long home run to give the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead. The exit velocity on his long ball was 111 mph.

    Memphis responded immediately. Catcher Brennan DuBose driving in an RBI single in the top of the fourth to cut the lead down to a single run.  Alex Fernandes would then go on to hit a 3-run homer to grant Memphis a 4-2 lead. Jacob Compton then hit a solo home run right after Fernandes, pushing the lead up to three runs.

    Later, Riley Davis would record his first RBI as a member of the Tigers.  His hit would bring home Austin Baskin.

    The score stayed the same all the way until the eighth inning. In this frame, Memphis started with a single and a walk. 

    A balk by Jacksonville State brought home Memphis’ seventh run. The bases were then loaded and JSU issued back-to-back walks for runs eight and nine. JSU finally got out of the eighth with a 6-4-3 double play.

    In the home half of the eighth, Jacksonville State finally dialed up the offense. Freshman Hudson Walburn hit a three-run shot to cut the lead to 9-5. They would then hit a two-run double, shrinking the lead to just 2.

    In the ninth, Memphis went down in order. Caleb Johnson of JSU hit a two-RBI double to tie the game at 9 runs each. 

    After an intentional walk and a hit by pitch, the Gamecocks once again had the bases loaded.  Memphis got out of the jam and moved onto extra innings for the second time this series.

    Alex Fernandes started out the 10th by recording a double, leaving the go-ahead run-in scoring position for Memphis.  Memphis was unable to cash this run in, leaving the game tied after top half of the 10th.   

    In the bottom of the 10th, JSU had hot bats. They had the bases loaded for the third time in the game. Caleb Johnson would go on to hit a walk off grand slam to get the Gamecocks a victory of 13-9.

    Memphis travels to play UA, Little Rock on the road Tuesday at 3 p.m.  This game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

    Photo by Brock Busick/University of Memphis Baseball

  • Memphis Baseball Ties Series Against Jacksonville State

    Memphis Baseball Ties Series Against Jacksonville State

    Jacksonville, Ala.—The University of Memphis Tigers baseball team defeated Jacksonville State 7-4 Saturday to tie the three-game series at one each. Coach Matt Riser earned his first win with the Tigers and 321st of his career.

    Photos by Brock Busick/University of Memphis Baseball
    Coach Matt Riser recorded his first win at the helm of the Memphis baseball program. Saturday’s 7-4 victory over Jacksonville State marked Riser’s 321st career win.

    Austin Baskin struck first, putting the Tigers on board early in the top of the 1st inning with his first RBI of the season. He hit a double to the left-center field.

    Jacksonville State tied the game in the 2nd inning with a bases-loaded hit by pitch from Michael Dallas.

    The Tigers’ regained the lead with Jacob Compton’s first solo home run of the game in the top of the third inning.

    Jacksonville State added one in the bottom of the third off the hit of Derrick Jackson Jr. to tie the ballgame 2-2.

    An RBI-triple from Pierre Seals and an RBI double from Alex Fernandes, his first hit of the game, extended the Tigers lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning.

    The hits and runs continued in the fifth inning. Aaron Smigelski and Daunte Stuart hit back-to-back home runs, a first for each this season.

    “The offense showed up again there early in the game and mentally we got to continue to grow and get stronger to finish off some games,” coach Matt Riser said.

    Seth Cox made his pitching debut walking the first batter before recording back-to-back strikeouts heading into the ninth inning.

    “I really enjoyed seeing what he did and that’s a great job of separating,” Riser said. “[Seth Cox] didn’t have a great day at the plate at all, and really had a big day yesterday, so he could’ve carried that over to the mound.”

    Riser commended his team for handling the Friday afternoon marathon 13-inning loss and coming back Saturday with a superior offensive showing.

    “I’m proud of the guys bouncing back after a tough game last night,” Riser said. “I thought again we had some big plays, some big moments, and I think this time we finished it.”

    UP NEXT
    Memphis and Jacksonville State will face off in their series finale on Sunday. First pitch between the Tigers and Gamecocks at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+

  • Memphis Baseball Drops Season Opener in 13 Inning Marathon

    Memphis Baseball Drops Season Opener in 13 Inning Marathon

    JACKSONVILLE, ALA ­– University of Memphis baseball lost a 13-inning season opener Friday to Jacksonville State, the two teams first-ever meeting. The Gamecocks hit a walk-off home run

    Jacksonville State brought out RHP Austin Cornelius to start the game on the mound.  This was his first ever colligate start, despite appearing out of the bullpen 23 times last season.

    Early in the game, Jacob Compton recorded the first hit of the 2024Tigers season, Compton smashed a double to deep left field.

    RHP David Warren was the starting pitcher for coach Matt Riser’s Tigers Friday afternoon. He did not have the best start, giving up an early triple to the Gamecocks. 

    This one cuts a little deep, you don’t expect to go 13 innings on opening night. The good thing that showed out of it was that we fought, and there’s no question about that.

    Matt Riser, Memphis Baseball Coach

    Caleb Johnson’s triple was later cashed in by a Brennen Norton RBI single. JSU led Memphis 1-0 after one inning.

    The Tigers responded immediately. Daunte Stuart drew his 110th collegiate walk, followed by a Seth Cox double early in the second inning. Catcher Brennan DuBose cashed in both of those runs with an RBI double.

    The Gamecocks started getting some momentum in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Freshman Gabe Young hit a 1-out triple, which called for a Tigers mound visit. Following the meeting, pitcher David Warren recorded the next two outs in just two pitches to hold on to the Tigers one run lead.

    JSU was threatening again in the bottom of the fifth, with back-to-back singles and just one out. Memphis once again found their way out of the jam with a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

    In the top of the sixth, Memphis got its first long ball of the season. DH Seth Cox hit a three-run shot to deep center allowing Memphis to take a 5-1 lead.

    Jacksonville State answered instantly. Memphis grabbed pitcher Brandon Chorezelewiski from the bullpen.  Chorezelewiski gave up a walk and a hit quickly. Gabe Young then smacked an RBI double to cut the lead down to 3. Coach Riser pulled Chorezelewiski before he could record an out. JSU would score two more runs on a sacrifice and a passed ball in the bottom of the 6th.

    In the eighth inning, JSU’s Bear Madliak tied the game with an RBI double. Memphis could not get anything going on offense since the sixth inning. The score was then 5-5.

    Memphis got some things going in the 9th, but eventually left two runners stranded.  JSU went down in order to send us into extra innings.

    Neither team could generate a lot of offense in extras.  JSU in fact struck out 8 Memphis batters in a row across extra innings.

    Finally, in the bottom of the 13th inning, Brennan Norton of Jacksonville State hit a walk off home run to deep left field.  Memphis fell to 0-1 to start the 2024 season. 

    “This one cuts a little deep, you don’t expect to go 13 innings on opening night,” Riser said after the game. “The good thing that showed out of it was that we fought, and there’s no question about that.”

    The Tigers take on the Gamecocks again today at 2 p.m. on ESPN +.

  • Another Season of Change for Memphis Baseball

    Another Season of Change for Memphis Baseball

    “We have a coach that’s ready to start winning now rather than rebuild a whole entire roster and start winning five years down the road. That means a lot to me.”

    Austin Baskins, Senior Utility

    A new season of Memphis Tigers baseball is upon us, and with the new season comes a lot of new faces. Last season they brought in Kerrick Jackson who was hired after longtime coach Daron Schoenrock announced his retirement after 18 years on the job. Jackson went on to lead the Tigers to a 29-28 record and their best conference finish since 2015.

    After the season ended, Jackson left for his home state of Missouri to be the head coach for the Missouri Tigers, where he was previously an assistant. With the departure, Memphis welcomes in Matt Riser, from Southeastern Louisiana University.

    “We’re trying to transform this program into a national program, you know, like football and basketball.” Coach Riser said at his press conference leading up to opening day.

    The new head man also had the task of hiring a completely staff as all of the assistants from the previous were gone as well. “The first step obviously was having to get the staff put together that had the same vision I had. We did that quickly and very efficiently,” Riser said.

    Riser brought one of his former assistants at SLU in hitting and field coach Ford Pemberton, former player under Riser at SLU now assistant coach Connor Manola, and former pitching coach at Mercer University Cory Barton

    Riser brings quite a resumé to Memphis. He won 30 or more games in eight of his 10 seasons as the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana.

    Riser had a challenge ahead of him of replenishing a Memphis roster that depleted with a mix of transfer portal entries and MLB Draft. Six of the top seven hitters for the Tigers last season are gone as well as their two best pitchers from last year, who were both selected into the MLB Draft.

    The sole top bat that stayed through the coaching change was Utility player Austin Baskin. The Covington, Tennessee native said Riser’s win now attitude is what made him buy in and want to stay in Memphis.

    “We have a coach that’s ready to start winning now rather than rebuild a whole entire roster and start winning five years down the road,” Baskin said. “That means a lot to me.”

    The senior is looking to build off a season where he scored a team-leading 49 runs while hitting .287 in 216 at-bats

    The pitcher that will begin the season for the Tigers is senior right-hander David Warren. Warren brings the most starting experience for the Tigers. The former Pensacola State transfer pitched 72.2 innings and ended with 5.57 ERA. He will be looked at as the anchor for the starting staff and be one of the veteran leaders for the team.

    “Experience has been a big factor,” Warren said. “I started in junior college and working my way through junior college…and being able to play against a lot of different levels of competition is a big thing.”

    The Tigers will begin their season with a weekend series on the road against Jacksonville State. The first game will be Friday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.

    Photos by Jacob Morgan/Tigerpen