The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Champs return to the diamond

    Kyle Cedotal

    The Lions have several seniors returning to the team this season in hopes of leading the team to another Southland Conference title. Senior pitcher Kyle Cedotal returns to the team this season after becoming a regular starter on Sundays for the Lions last season. 
    The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

    The Lions’ baseball team is preparing for the upcoming season. The defending Southland Conference Champions will be going into the season with new additions to the team and the hope of continuing the same success they have had for the past two seasons under Head Coach Matt Riser.

    The official date they started fall practice was Saturday September 26 at Alumni Field.

    “The team looks good,” said Riser. “We had two injuries from last year. It will be good to have these guys back for this year and to have their leadership.”

    The Lions have added 11 new faces to the roster for this season. The players are Brennan Breaud, Matt Dalke, Corey Gaconi, Carlo Graffeo, Cliff Hurst, Sam Huser, Evan Jordan, Derrick Mount, Evan Pace, Payton Robinson and Bryce Tassin. Mount and Hurst are junior college transfers. The other nine players are all freshmen, according to lionsports.net. Out of the 11 players, eight are pitchers, one is a catcher, and one is a dual threat infielder/pitcher.

    “[I’m] very excited about the guys this year and the talent they bring to the team,” said Riser. 

    In addition to bringing in new players to hold the Lion mantle, recently graduated players will be joining the professional ranks to represent the university in a different way. Former Lions Kevin Carr, Jake Johnson, Kyle Keller and Tate Scioneaux signed professional baseball contracts this past summer. Johnson, Keller and Scioneaux were drafted in the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Draft. Keller signed a contract with a team in the Can-Am League.

    Although the team will be missing these players on the field, Riser believes it is essentially good for the program and team to see them stepping up to the professional league.

    “It’s a great thing for our program,” said Riser. “However, you never want to see these guys go.”

    The Lions finished last season with the best record in the Southland Conference at (42-17). The players also won individual awards during and after the season, such as second baseman Carson Crites being named to Southland All-Tournament team. The team placed a program record five players on the All-Louisiana College Baseball Team.

    The season ended in the Southland Conference Tournament with a loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. As a result of the loss, they did not make it to the NCAA National Tournament as they did two seasons before.

    “We were disappointed not to make it,” said Riser. “We have to win the regular season and the tournament in order to make it to the national tournament.”

    The Lions have only made it to the NCAA tournament twice in the program’s history. Riser does have hope his team can make it back to the national tournament.

    “It’s our goal every year, but we have a tough schedule,” said Riser. “We’ll be facing teams that will be a challenge.”

    The Lions have progressed each year under Riser, and there is no doubt in his mind they will continue to progress and grow as a team.

    “We have a chance to be better this season than what we have been,” said Riser. “Right now our goal is to win more.”

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