Hunter ParkerPatience and persistence may be the watchwords for the Chattanooga State baseball Tigers this season.
They have precious little experience at the college level.
All but five guys on the roster are freshmen, and only two of the sophomores played regularly for the Tigers last spring. Those are left fielder Nate Schmal from Cumming, Ga., and center fielder Hunter Parker from East Hamilton.
Sophomores Noah Karst from Canton, Ga., and Grant Sane from Dalton share third-base duties. Otherwise freshmen will be playing when the Tigers open their 2016 season Saturday against Southern Union in Wadley, Ala.
“I feel like we have a lot of talent – a lot of young talent,” said Schmal, who batted .331 with 36 RBIs and 25 runs scored in a sophomore-dominated lineup last year. “But you never know how people are going to react when you throw them into the fire, and college baseball is a lot different than high school.”