Written by Nic Fraraccio // Photo by Macy Cox
The Harding baseball and softball teams will open their seasons this weekend with the hope of producing another successful season.
The Lady Bisons are coming off their highest win total season since 2017. The team finished with a 46-14 record at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Despite falling to Southern Arkansas University in the Great American Conference (GAC) tournament semifinals May 6, 2023, the Lady Bisons continued to push through the postseason.
Harding battled their way through the Division II Softball Championships to advance to the regional final May 13, 2023 against No. 4 University of Central Oklahoma.
With their minds set on another postseason run, the lineup will look to continue their consistent hitting ability. All-GAC second-team junior infielder Emma Curry said anyone in the lineup can contribute to Harding’s offensive success.
“Everyone has a unique little tool in their back pocket,” Curry said. “We just know that somebody’s there to help us if one of us can’t get the job done.”
Junior catcher Brooke Johnson said the lineup will be set apart from the rest of the teams in the GAC because of the confidence and support each player has for each other.
“The depth is crazy this season,” Johnson said. “There is not a single person that I wouldn’t trust in any situation.”
In the circle, the Lady Bisons will return two key members of the 2023 pitching staff. GAC Newcomer of the Year junior Riley Price and All-GAC first team senior Abby Burch will lead the Lady Bison staff throughout the 2024 season.
Johnson said the two pitchers have worked hard to improve their game during the offseason.
“They’ve got some really good stuff and some new tricks up their sleeve,” Johnson said. “They’ve worked really hard, and I think that it will show.”
The Harding baseball team will enter the season with a vengeance following the 2023 conference tournament. Despite recording a 33-19 record, Harding’s postseason efforts fell short against a familiar rival.
The Bisons were defeated by Ouachita Baptist University in two games during the first round of the GAC tournament May 5-6, 2023.
Senior pitcher Maddox Long, an All-GAC second team-pitcher, said the Bisons have scores to settle against multiple teams in the GAC, including the Ouachita Baptist Tigers.
“We’ve had some struggles in the past playing them in a series,” Long said. “I think everybody’s going to have something to prove this year. I think we have the talent to back up what we have to prove.”
Harding will bring back talent on the mound and at the plate. Long and All- GAC honorable mention senior pitcher Will Roguske will return to the Harding pitching staff.
In the lineup, the Bisons will return multiple hitters with valuable extra-base hit potential. 2023 GAC Freshman of the Year Cooper Newsom returns for his sophomore year after tallying a school-record 25 doubles during the 2023 season.
As the next season approaches, head coach Patrick McGaha said the team culture will be an important part of Harding’s success this season.
“Our culture has always been extremely important to us,” McGaha said. “We’re playing against the game more than we’re playing against the opponent, and we have to play for our brothers.”
Both teams will begin their seasons today. The Harding softball team will play against Union University and Texas A&M-Kingsville University at the Mardi Gras Invitational in Louisiana. The Harding baseball team will travel to Mississippi to take on Delta State University.
