The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team will open the 2017 season with a busy schedule over the next week. The Cru will play four games over a stretch of six days to open the year, beginning with a non-conference game at Texas Lutheran University on Tuesday, February 14th.
UMHB will travel to Seguin to face former conference rival TLU in a 7:00 PM start on Tuesday. The Bulldogs were ranked 10th and 21st in the two major Division III National Polls entering the season and Texas Lutheran will have six games under its belt entering the game against the Cru. You can find links to live stats and live video of Tuesday night’s game on the UMHB Athletic Department web site at www.cruathletics.com.
Following Tuesday night’s season opener, the Cru will travel to Tyler to play three games in the Clements Fluids Classic, hosted by U.T. Tyler, on February 18th and 19th. UMHB will open against Centenary College before taking on defending American Southwest Conference champion and tournament host U.T. Tyler. The Cru will close out the tournament by facing defending NCAA Division III National Champion Trinity University on Sunday.
UMHB returns 17 letter winners from last season and welcomes back six position players who started ten or more games last year. The Cru also returns pitchers who combined for 10 of the team’s 11 wins. Pitcher Aaron Barteau was an All-Region selection in 2015 and returns after missing most of last season with an injury. Casey Frazier, Seth Hill and Connor Heussner were all key members of the starting rotation last year and Nathan Kent, Jacob Krzemien, Stuart Hennigar, Trevis Green and Tyler Nelson all return in the bullpen.
Catcher Max Conway was a First Team All-Conference selection and should anchor things behind the plate for UMHB again this year with help from C/INF Emery Atkisson. OF/DH Riley Davis returns the team’s highest batting average at .328 and OF Caleb Davis is also back to compete for a starting role in the outfield. 3B/1B Ty Johnson and SS Robbie Gillen were both starters last season are will help anchor the infield and returners Jackson Godoy and Mitch Patterson will also challenge for playing time. The Cru brought in a deep and talented recruiting class with several key players who should play their way into significant roles during the course of the season. Head Coach Ben Shipp will bring a 354-337 career record into his 16th overall season at the helm of the UMHB baseball program.
The Cru will continue its road swing to open the season with three games at the Rhodes College Tournament in Tennessee on February 24-25. UMHB will open its home schedule against Trinity University in a 6:00 PM start at Red Murff Field on February 28th.
UMHB finished 11-28 overall last season and went 6-18 in ASC play. The Cru missed out on an ASC Championship Tournament berth after falling out of contention on the final weekend of the regular season. UMHB was picked to finish 10th in the ASC in the league’s annual Preseason Coaches and Media Poll.
