By Justin Lemanski
Sports Reporter
The CSJ baseball team will begin their spring season with a double-header against William Carey University on Feb. 17 in Hattiesburg, Miss.
William Carey is a Division I team that is a member of the NAIA. They are currently 6-5 on the season but are riding a 6-game winning streak. Alex Buechler is hitting a team-leading .444 with 5 doubles, and 15 RBI’s. The Saints will likely see Jake Chambliss on the mound at some point as he has a 0.96 ERA over 9.1 innings pitched this season. They have made appearances in the NAIA national tournament twice in the past four years and have a history of being a successful program.
The Saints will be handing the ball to Alan Madsen in game one. Madsen was dominant in the fall, as he didn’t allow any earned runs. Ryan Cummings will get the ball in game 2 for the Saints. Cummings sat out most of the fall due to a fractured ankle and will be looking to have solid outing. Scoring early will be key for the Saints; if they can get some runs on the board, their strong pitching staff will put them in a good position to win.
The Saints are looking to start their spring off in the right direction and get a win. The first pitch is at 1 p.m. and the second game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.Following this, the baseball team heads to New Orleans for a series of games against Loyola University and Delgado College. Loyola University is another NAIA Division I team who plays in the same conference as William Carey. They are currently 6-2 on the season. Delgado is a powerhouse school that is consistently ranked high in the NJCAA Division I league.
