Baseball will open their 2020 campaign on Saturday and Sunday as they welcome Southwest Virginia to Cougar Field. Saturday's doubleheader will begin 12:00 ET with Sunday's single-game also getting underway at 12:00 ET.
Last year, the Cougars put together a solid season, going 27-20 and 15-9 in the TCCAA. They finished third overall in the regular season, but were eliminated by Motlow State in last year's TCCAA Tournament. Cleveland State was also strong at their home field, posting a 13-8 record.
Cleveland State will return eight sophomores to their roster. The second-year class is highlighted by outfielder Lance Dockery and Jonathan Hickman. Dockery, who was named All-Conference in 2019 and batted .339 while driving in 33 runs, crossing home plate 41 times, hitting six home runs, and stealing 16 bases. Hickman, who signed with Tennessee Tech this winter, will also provide a boost in both the lineup and on the mound for the Cougars. He led the team with a .381 batting average last spring while also leading in RBIs with 39. He also scored 31 runs and hit five home runs, while posting a 3.44 ERA and 48 strikeouts as a pitcher.
There will be lots of new faces for the Cougars that will have a chance to make an immediate impact. Head Coach Mike Policastro named freshmen Courtney Payne, Reese Plemmons, Dayton Wisley, Kaleb Orr, and Jared Young as players who he thinks will highlight the class.
"The goal is always to win the national tournament and win the conference tournament," said Policastro. "Our goal is to be the best that we can be everyday. If we do that, we're going to win our share of games… This is the way that we approach everyday. We always want to win every game and we know we control what we can do. If we play well, if we pitch well, if we hit well, we have a chance to win everyday."
Come out and cheer on the Cougars this weekend and check cscougars.com and Cleveland State Athletic social media for updates on the 2020 Baseball season.
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