The Bison baseball team has more than five months to wait until they begin their regular season, but the team has already begun preparing for this spring.
The team began practice Sept. 17 and has a 45-day window in which to practice 24 times, according to NCAA rules.
Tomorrow Harding will scrimmage against North Arkansas College at 10 a.m. and again on Saturday, Oct. 6 ,at 10 a.m. against Arkansas Baptist.
Head Coach Patrick McGaha said tomorrow’s scrimmage against North Arkansas College will be a tough one, but it will help prepare the Bisons for the season.
“Traditionally NAC hits the ball very well,” McGaha said. “It will be a good challenge for our pitchers to face quality hitters.These fall games are truly scrimmage games, so you just have to use them as opportunities to evaluate your club,especially your newplayers, and not really worry about the outcome.”
After coming off a less than perfect season, the team is working hard and trying to put the past behind them.
“Coming back from a disappointing season, the thing I look forward to most is showing people that last year was a fluke,” senior third baseman Billy Ninemire said. “I look forward to earning respect from opposing teams and showing them that Harding baseball is a team to be reckoned with.”
Although there were several reasons for the Bisons’ struggles last season, the team is determined to start fresh this year.
“We had some key injuries last season that derailed us and made for a long, frustrating season,” McGaha said.”I am ready, as I know the guys are, for a fresh start and the chance to erase those bad memories.”
The Bisons have a lot to look forward to after signing two new transfers. Junior outfielder Trent Wooldridge transferred from Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
“Playing for Harding this year is gonna be a pleasure,” Wooldridge said.”I’m looking forward to watching our team develop over the next four months. I just hope I can come in and give the guys a spark come spring.”
Along with Wooldridge, the Bisons also picked up redshirt freshman Zac Stewart from the University of Central Arkansas. Stewart is an outfielder as well as a pitcher.
McGaha said they have not gotten in as many practices as they would have hoped yet because of the weather, but what he has seen during conditioning and workouts has looked very encouraging.
“I think we have a chance to be a very good hitting club, and our defense will be very good, but our strength will be pitching,” McGaha said. “This will be the deepest pitching staff that I have had in my 12 seasons as a college head coach.”
In addition to their upcoming scrimmages, the Bisons will play the Black and Gold World Series Oct. 19-21. Current players will divide into two teams and play Friday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. In conjunction with the Black and Gold World Series they will have an alumni game Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
