2024 Baseball Season Preview

Erik Holth, CBC Sports Information Director

            Conway, Ark. – Coming off a run to third place in the 2023 American Midwest Conference tournament, Central Baptist College baseball opens the 2024 season tomorrow afternoon against Champion Christian. First pitch from Bishop Field in Bryan is slated for noon.

            "The team looks really good," said head coach Dr. Aaron Brister, who begins his 11^th season in charge of the Mustangs. "We're ready to get on the field, we've got really good returners and a great crop of newcomers."

            CBC returns 17 players from last season's 25-28 squad, led by Honorable Mention AMC selection and gold glover Luke McBride and fellow gold glove winner Danilo Taborda. Joining them in the returners department are All-Tournament team selection Austin LeJeune, Jaxon Kirkhuff, Cameron Harden, Christian Zincke, Jackson Pope, Landon Hitchcock, Josh Albat, Cole Garcia, Gram Middleton, Austin Teal, Rhett James, Ruben Hernandez, Mason Sellers, Julio Escobar and Jackson Lindsey. "We are going to have twin power with the McBride's and the Hicks'. We are a real mature team. Luke is a great leader and he and Teal will anchor the infield for us and Danilo will get after it behind the plate."

            Joining the crop is a talented group of 16 newcomers that include transfers Luis Ramos, Cade McBride, Jalen Hicks, Jacori Hicks, Rolando Rodriguez, Ryan Dauphinee, Brennan Duhe, Chett McDaniel, Kevin Gutierrez, Dominic Smith, Aaron Prince and Ian Velazquez to go with JV callups Ayden Qualls, Blane Sullinger, Dylan Parton, and Doug Paolinetti. "Chett McDaniel is a really good addition in left field," added Brister. "Ian in center field, we are excited about him and we have a guy that's a shortstop, Brennan, that will be a versatile utility player for us, just as Cade will be and both Brennan and Cade will also pitch for us a little bit. We got several other guys that will come in and contribute right away."

            CBC's 50 game schedule includes a matchup against preseason #9 Missouri Baptist, the reigning AMC champions, at Burns Park on March 29 & 30. "We've got Texas College that we are playing down in Dallas, and we have some of our regulars, like Baptist Bible and Crowley's Ridge," added Brister. "We're going to SAGU again this season. We have Wiley College coming to town where one of our alumni, Nikaylen Morrison, is an assistant coach and we are excited to see him. We are excited about our schedule."

            CBC was picked to finish fifth in the AMC this season behind Missouri Baptist, Columbia, William Woods and Williams Baptist. Coach Brister also shared his thoughts on that: "It's not about how you start, it's how you finish a lot of times and that's what happened last season. We started slow and finished strong and I feel really good about how we finished. I think we have the depth and the squad to finish in the top two this season!"