Led by a group of sophomores already signed by four-year schools, the Cleveland State Community College baseball team begins its 2017 season with optimism.
The Cougars are scheduled to host the University of the Cumberlands junior varsity team in a doubleheader today.
Jake Rogers, a Georgia State signee from Gordon Lee, heads a Cougars pitching staff of mostly freshmen, but Mercer recruit Sean McDermott at first base and fellow signees Devin Gardner and Jordan Ransom in the outfield are only some of the returning position players. Billy Brand is a sophomore who can be used anywhere in the infield, veteran coach Mike Policastro said, and Hagan Kennedy is a proven player behind the plate.
Left-handers Hooper Mills, Grant Crosby and Corey Linz join righty Brandon Thompson from Bradley Central in fighting for rotation spots, a Cleveland State release noted, and Gunnar Norwood is another freshman pitcher from Bradley to go with sophomore lefty Elijah Haynie from Walker Valley.
"We can be a good team and have a good year," Policastro said. "We'll need to have our frontline guys have good years, both in our lineup and on the mound."
- Lee 8, Catawba 7: At Olympic Field in Cleveland, the Flames won the rubber game of the weekend NCAA Division II series Sunday when Miguel Pimentel's bases-loaded single in the ninth scored Geremy Walton, who had a leadoff single.
Drew Johnson's double pushed Walton to third and Catawba intentionally walked Peyton Meeker.
Lee led 7-4 after six innings, but Catawba tied with a three-run eighth.
Walton finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, Nathan Wierzgac was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, and Jeffrey Chapuran was 2-for-3 with a walk for Lee (2-1). Spencer Mossburg homered in the third for the Flames' first run after Luke Setzer had a grand slam for Catawba (2-2) in the second.
Corbin Lamb (1-0) worked the final 1 2/3 innings and was the sixth Flames pitcher used. He gave up no runs and earned the win after allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two.
- LaGrange 16, Sewanee 4: At LaGrange, Ga., the Tigers fell for the second straight day after LaGrange won Saturday's season opener 10-3. Beau Allen was 3-for-4 in Saturday's game, and Max Murray was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Softball
- Lee split two games Sunday at the Southern Softball Showdown in Columbus, Ga., beating Montevallo 8-4 but losing 10-7 to Columbus State.
Against Montevallo, Brooklynn Frazier was 1-for-2 with a three-run homer, and Stevie Baird, Leigh Beatenbough, Annabeth Pruett and Taylor Moran each had an RBI. Beatenbough and Pruett each was 1-for-2 with a walk - Pruett's hit was a double - and Baird was 0-for-2 but walked twice.
Beatenbough (1-1) pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits and four walks.
Against Columbus State, Lee rallied after trailing 7-0 but couldn't complete the comeback and fell to 4-2 this season. Courtney Crawford was 2-for-4, Bailey Church was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer, Abby McKinney was 1-for-3 with a double, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs, and Baird was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.