Harding baseball picked second in the GAC Preseason Coaches Poll

22 Jan 2025 Harding baseball picked second in the GAC Preseason Coaches Poll

Posted at 7:22 PMh in Sports by 501 LIFE

RUSSELLVILLE — On Tuesday, the Great American Conference released the results of the 2025 GAC baseball ballot. Arkansas-Monticello collected six first-place votes to enter the season as the preseason favorite. Harding received four first-place votes followed by one apiece for Arkansas Tech and Southern Arkansas.

Photo courtesy of the Great American Conference.

In 2024, the Weevils shared the regular-season title with the Wonder Boys and Bisons, won the program’s third GAC Championship, and reached an NCAA Central Super Regional for the first time ever. They return GAC Freshman of the Year and consensus All-American Camden Tanner. His .421 average and .516 on-base percentage led the conference, as did his 90 hits. First-Team All-GAC starting pitcher Connor Irvine returns as does GAC Championship MVP Chaz Poppy. Irvine went 9-2 with 90 strikeouts in 99.2 innings pitched. Poppy hit .317 with 16 home runs, and 62 RBI. Closer Nelson Mercado led the GAC with 10 saves and Aiden Garrett added 11 home runs and 37 RBI.

A season ago, the Bisons earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. They bring back two All-GAC pitchers in first-time selection Maddox Long and Honorable Mention pick Merritt Jay. Long, the GAC Pitcher of the Year, led the GAC with 107 strikeouts and 105.1 innings pitched. He went 6-1 with a 3.33 ERA. Jay also won six games and added 69 strikeouts. Cooper Newsom and Collin Helms, two Second-Team honorees also come back. Helms led the Bisons with nine home runs. He ranked in the top 12 in both on-base and slugging percentage. Newsom hit .286 with 39 RBI.

The Wonder Boys gave the GAC three 2024 NCAA Tournament participants. They returned a pair of All-GAC selections in the second team, starting pitcher John Gray and Honorable Mention third baseman Brendyn Bard. Gray went 6-3 with 72 strikeouts. Bard hit .327 with 34 RBI.

Southern Arkansas edged out Henderson State for fourth place. The Muleriders returned First-Team All-GAC shortstop Brandon Nicoll, who hit .316 with 13 home runs and 44 RBI. Starting pitcher Jeremy Adorno and third baseman Jaden Woolbright also return. Adorno struck out 100 batters in 88.0 innings and held the opposition to a .223 average. Woolbright added a .301 average with eight home runs and 34 RBI. The Reddies’ Reese Weaks placed on the All-GAC Second Team after going 5-1 with 70 strikeouts. His .205 opponent’s batting average led the GAC.

Northwestern Oklahoma State claimed sixth, followed by Oklahoma Baptist and Ouachita Baptist. The Rangers bring back all seven of their 2024 All-GAC selections in First Teamers Dylan Bradford and Carson Wright, Second Teamers Hagen Barcello, Chad Green and Jacob Shaw and Honorable Mention picks Paul Sachen and Trevor Saire. Bradford hit .380 with a .491 on-base percentage. Wright’s .389 average ranked third in the conference. Barcello hit. 307 with 51 RBI. Green hit .385 and slugged .654. Shaw’s eight saves ranked second in the GAC. Sachen drove in 39 runs and Saire hit .312 with 32 RBI.

The Bison must replace the league’s top two home run hitters In Player of the Year Troy Shields and All-American Alex Schroeder. They combined for 42 home runs and 164 RBI. They bring back All-GAC infielders Jayden Shafer and Spencer Dickinson. Shafer led the GAC in walks and ranked second with 66 runs scored. Dickinson hit .316 with 10 home runs.

The Tigers bring back GAC Newcomer of the Year Chase Oberle and Honorable Mention second baseman Wesley Scott. In 2024, Oberle led the conference with a 2.23 ERA. He went 6-4 with 81 strikeouts in 84.2 innings pitched. Scott hit .288 with seven home runs and eight stolen bases.

Southwestern Oklahoma State, Southeastern Oklahoma State, East Central and Southern Nazarene rounded out the poll. SWOSU features a first-year head coach in former Bulldog and long-time assistant JR Head. Head worked on Zack Saunders’ staff for the previous 10 seasons. The Savage Storm elevated hitting coach Alan Trayler to head coach.

Regular season play begins on Friday, January 31. The Weevils and Wonder Boys travel to Houston for the Houston Astros Winter Invitational. Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist and Southern Arkansas head to Hot Springs for the Dugan Invitational. Oklahoma Baptist, Southeastern Oklahoma State and East Central will all visit Central Oklahoma for the Edmond First Pitch Classic. Harding hosts Missouri Western; Northwestern Oklahoma State faces Colorado Christian and Southwestern Oklahoma State welcomes in Colorado School of Mines. Southern Nazarene takes on New Mexico Highlands and Newman.