The future seems to be bright for the Grambling State University Baseball team and hopefully for the G-Men the future is now.After going 18-29 overall and 9-15 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference last season, the Tigers are looking to turn it around by making their living the old fashioned way; 60-feet and six inches away from home plate.
“I feel our pitching will be a strong point,” Head Coach Barrett Rey said. “(We can have) a rotation with good starters, relievers and a closer.”
The Tigers have seven players that were in last season’s rotation returning for a stint on the mound this year.
Offensively the Tigers had 92 extra-base hits including 19 home runs and 254 runs-batted-in (RBI). Sophomore infielder Justin Kelly led the team with 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts while Junior outfielder Richard Amaro led the way with seven home runs.
As a team, the Tigers had an overall batting average of .280, good enough for sixth in the SWAC.
The men held a strong and consistent home record going 15-9 but had struggles on the road going a dismal 3-20. Grambling will have to be able to win on the road to compete with Prairie View A&M which has dominated the SWAC the last two years.
Grambling as a whole is optimistic about its chances going into the 2007-2008 season.
“We’re going to be good,” infielder Quinton Henley said. “We’ve got talent, plenty of talent and coach (Rey) has a good system going on.”
Being successful in conference will prove to be a tremendous challenge. Jackson State ‘s offense, which led the SWAC in all statistical categories but three, (at-bats, plate appearances and strikeouts) Southern’s defense (5.30 earned-run-average, .947 fielding percentage) and don’t forget Prairie View A&M.
Indeed it appears to be quite a challenge for a team that has a bright future. Hopefully, that future is now.