Baseball Opens Season in Edmond

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern baseball is set to open the 2019 season on Feb. 1 when it takes on Central Oklahoma at 1 p.m. in Edmond, Okla., in the Edmond First Pitch Classic.
 
The Savage Storm will follow the opener with a Feb. 2 matchup with Emporia State at 10 a.m., followed by a Feb. 3 contest against Pittsburg State at 4 p.m.
 
Southeastern baseball heads into the 2019 season in the underdog role after being picked eighth in the Great American Conference preseason poll.
 
The Savage Storm garnered 52 points in the poll after finishing eighth in the final 2018 standings with a 22-23 record overall and a 17-15 mark in GAC play.
 
Southeastern returns its top hitter from a season ago in Austin Ferguson who posted a .380 average and three home runs along with seven doubles and 30 RBI.
 
Joseph Cerda also returns after hitting .309 a year ago with seven homers, while the team's home run leader Easton Elliott also comes back, as do Bryce Deatherage, Caleb Dubler, and Harrison Whitworth, all of whom made 25 or more starts.
 
Deatherage and Cody Nitson make a return on the hill after posting records of 6-3 and 5-3, respectively, with Nitson leading the club in strikeouts.
 
The team will also see 16 new faces with the squad heading into the season.
 
UCO comes into the event picked second in the MIAA preseason poll and is the league's defending regular season champion after posting a 25-11 conference record and a 37-21 overall mark.
 
The Bronchos return 11 players from the 2018 team and will be introducing 25 new editions to the roster.
 
ESU comes into the year picked fifth in the MIAA preseason poll after a 34-24 record in 2018 with a 20-16 record in league play.
 
The Hornets return three position players that started at least 15 games last year.  On the mound seven pitchers are eligible to return led by All-MIAA selection Tanner Cairns, who is 18-3 in his career with the Hornets.
 
PSU was picked third in the MIAA preseason poll and is coming off a 33-21 season a year ago with a 23-13 record in MIAA play.
 
The Gorillas return two position players that started 20 or more games in 2018 as well as five pitchers with nine or more appearances on the mound.  PSU finished fourth in the conference standings ­– qualifying for the NCAA Division II Central Regional with an at-large bid.