Baseball opens 2024 against Louisiana Christian
After experiencing some success last season, the Wiley University baseball team will swing for more as it opens the 2024 season with a doubleheader at Louisiana Christian University 2 p.m. Friday at Billy Allgood Field.
Live statistics will be available. Live video access is available for purchase at four dollars.
The Wildcats return 22 players from last season's team, which won 21 games - including their first postseason win since 2011. They also earned their first berth in the Black College World Series. Sixteen of the returners are entering their third year in the program. Outfielder Jhan Carlos Javier, outfielder and third baseman Kai Woodard, first baseman and pitcher Ivan Del Villar and pitcher Isaac Burciaga earned First Team All-GCAC last season. Javier and Woodard ranked in the top 10 of the GCAC in several hitting categories. Burciaga led the conference with seven wins and ranked in the top five in earned run average and strikeouts. Del Villar led the GCAC in batting average and slugging percentage.
Second-Team All-GCAC selection Jalen Porter led the conference in saves and finished second in ERA and strikeouts. Daniel Cox ranked in the top five in the GCAC with five wins, 65 strikeouts and a 6.28 ERA. Head coach Kendrick Biggs, who is entering his ninth season leading the Wildcats, brought in 15 players with eight transfers and seven freshmen.
Louisiana Christian finished 36-15 last season - finishing as regular season runner-up in the Red River Athletic Conference. It went 2-2 in the conference championship.
Nicholas Brunet is the leading returning hitter with a .410 batting average. He scored 35 runs and drove in 35. Adrian Aguilar is the top returning home run hitter with five. Cy Fontenot is the leading returning starting pitcher. He went 7-4 with a 5.16 ERA. He struck out 69 batters.
Friday's doubleheader will mark the 12th and 13th meetings in the series. Wiley has only won two of the previous 11 games - with their last victory coming in 2010. Last season, the Wildcats fell 2-1. The teams played in the RRAC in the 2022 season.
For more coverage on the Wildcats visit Baseball - Wiley University (wileyathletics.com)
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