Written by Aja Griffin//Photo by Edgar Cardiel
Harding Baseball has climbed to No. 24 in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) poll, marking a significant achievement for the program. Head coach Dr. Patrick McGaha, now in his 20th year leading the team, acknowledged the accomplishment while focusing on the bigger picture.
“It’s the highest we’ve had in a while, it’s a nice accomplishment,” McGaha said. “But we can’t get caught up in the honors and recognitions—we just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing to be successful and stay grounded.”
McGaha credits the team’s success to its strong culture, dedication, work ethic and camaraderie.
“The culture is in place here,” McGaha said. “They pay attention to detail, work hard and care about each other. We’re blessed with talented guys who are also high-character young men that do things the right way.”
For senior pitcher Griffin Meeker, the ranking serves as recognition for the team’s hard work but does not define their success.
“We have been playing really good baseball and plan on keeping it rolling,” Meeker said. “It doesn’t matter if we are ranked or not—we just plan on playing good baseball.”
McGaha also prioritizes faith in his coaching, ensuring his players develop on the field and grow as Christian leaders.
“We talk a lot about expectations and how we represent the University, our families and the Lord,” McGaha said. “We use the life lessons from baseball to help the players become Christian leaders in their homes and communities.”
Meeker emphasized the team’s shared faith as a key part of their journey.
“It has been known from the beginning that our faith is the most important thing,” Meeker said. “As a team, we hold each other accountable on and off the field with our walk. We all know that having Christ in our lives will bring us more enjoyment than baseball ever can.”
With a challenging schedule ahead, McGaha remains focused on keeping his players grounded.
“Our schedule on the back end is really brutal, so we need to continue playing well,” McGaha said. “We’ll have to play really well and execute fundamentals to have a chance. As long as we can keep doing that, we like our chances.”
Junior Hudson Vaughn said the team put in effort to reach this point.
“It is an honor to be ranked because a lot of work has gone into putting ourselves in the position we are in,” Vaughn said. “None of the rankings matter when we are on the field, nor do they change how we go about our business.”
Vaughn credits Harding Baseball’s culture for shaping the team’s success.
“We are blessed with the culture we have built on this team. This is the way it is because of the guys who have come and gone before us here,” Vaughn said. “We have amazing leaders, and carrying ourselves in a selfless manner on and off the field helps us remember where our real priorities lie.”
