Hawks open baseball season on Thursday in Huntingdon Firehouse Classic

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon baseball team is starting a new chapter in 2014.

The Hawks are competing in a new conference, have a new assistant coach in Nick Fletcher and will be counting on several new faces to help continue a tradition of success.

The season opens on Thursday with the first game of the Huntingdon Firehouse Classic at Posey Field.

Huntingdon will play Randolph-Macon at 5 p.m. In addition to Randolph-Macon, the tournament includes Rhodes and 12th-ranked Millsaps. Huntingdon will play Rhodes on Friday at 5 p.m. and Millsaps on Saturday at 5 p.m.

The Hawks are coming off a 32-11 season and their first berth in a NCAA Regional. But the Hawks have to replace 15 departed seniors and catcher Joseph Odom, a 13th round pick by the Atlanta Braves.

While there are some question marks entering the season, Huntingdon head coach D.J. Conville will depend on the leadership of his returning players to set the tone. Among the returning starters are senior pitchers Gavin Free, Neil Lawler and Joseph Fincher, senior infielder Tyler Blackwell and junior infielder Jordan Freeman.

Free led the Hawks with 72 strikeouts in 69.2 innings last season and tied for a team-best seven wins. He finished with a 7-4 record and a 3.75 ERA. Fincher also finished with a 7-4 record, tied for second on the team with 43 strikeouts and had a 3.00 ERA in 54 innings.

Lawler earned second-team All-South Region honors as a junior and was dominant as a closer. In 24 appearances, he had a 2-1 record, 10 saves, a 1.09 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 33 innings. He tied for 11th in Division III in saves.

Blackwell batted .276 with 26 RBIs and 21 runs last season and put together an 11-game hitting streak. Freeman, who has started in 70 games the past two seasons, batted .225 with 22 runs and 11 RBIs last season.

Entering their first season as a member of the USA South Athletic Conference, the Hawks are ranked fifth in the preseason conference poll. Huntingdon opens conference play on the road at North Carolina Wesleyan on Feb. 21.

Huntingdon Firehouse Classic

Thursday

5 p.m. -- Huntingdon vs. Randolph-Macon

Friday

2 p.m. – Randolph-Macon vs. Millsaps

5 p.m. – Huntingdon vs. Rhodes

Saturday

1 p.m. – Randolph-Macon vs. Rhodes

5 p.m. – Huntingdon vs. Millsaps

Sunday

1 p.m. – Millsaps vs. Rhodes