Central Baseball Set to Start 2012 Season

The baseball season is back but this year the Tigers bring almost an entirely different look to the roster. The Tigers have 27 new names added to the team. Of those 27, 26 are freshman. This year the Tigers look to improve on their 17-33 season from a year ago. With new head coach Aaron Childress running the team, there have been some extreme changes to the team outlook, intensity and even some new uniforms to show to everyone that this team is moving in a positive direction. The Tigers have added some new teams to their 55 game schedule as well, including Robert Morris, in Illinois, who is ranked in the top 30 in the NAIA, Colorado Christian University and Loyola University in New Orleans.

The Tiger's first test of the season will have them on a long road trip to New Orleans, Louisiana where they will face the Loyola University Wolfpack in a two day, four game series starting January 27^th. The Tigers are taking this team as serious as if they were the number 1 team in the nation. When asked how he felt about Loyola, Coach Childress had this to say, "From the information we have gathered, Loyola will be one of the toughest opponents we face this season. Regardless of their record, they are a good team. They have been tested by a conference schedule that is nearly unrivalled in the NAIA."

The players have all been working extremely hard since the start of the school year going through conditioning, long hours of practice on the field, class time with the coaches, and just getting to know their new teammates and how they play with each other. Even with that said the Tigers will have to bring their "A" game and then some to start their new season on a high.

There is no way to predict the coming season because of the number of freshmen brought in. Offense, defense and speed have all been upgraded to give us two deep at every position; in some cases three deep. According to Childress, the biggest improvement has come to the pitching staff. The Tigers have added 13 pitchers this season and retained 3 from last season. There are many live arms, but they're mostly freshmen. This will be a challenging season. With depth and talent at every spot, CCC should be competitive - with a freshmen heavy roster, they should at least be fun to watch. It is an exciting time for Central Baseball. Many of the players that you will watch this season will be around for three more.