Gents Receiving Votes In D3baseball.com/NCBWA Preseason Poll

Shreveport – The Centenary baseball team is receiving votes in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA preseason poll, it was announced on Thursday.

See the complete preseason poll here: https://www.d3baseball.com/top25/2022/2022Top25-week-0

The Diamond Gents received seven votes after having one of their finest seasons in program history in 2021 as they went 30-11 overall and 14-7 in Southern Collegiate Athletic conference play.

Centenary, which won 30 games in a season for just the second time in the Division III era (2012-present) and 10^th time in school history, set a D3 era single-season record for home wins (17) and won their first 16 at Shehee Stadium. They swept five opponents at home last season and are 20-3 in their last 23 home games dating back to the beginning of last season. 

Centenary also won a program-record 18-straight games from March 4-April 6 as the Maroon and White went unbeaten for six-consecutive weeks and at the time owned the longest winning streak in the nation in Division III. The Gents were ranked for eight straight weeks in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll and peaked at No. 14. Centenary secured the No. 4 seed in the 2021 SCAC Championship in Cleburne, Texas.

Gents head coach Mike Diaz was named the SCAC Coach of the Year in 2021, winning the award for the fifth time in his career. Senior P/1B Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) was named the SCAC Pitcher of the Year and earned First-Team All-SCAC honors at first base as of the conference's most versatile and dynamic players.

Ludwick was named to both the 2021 D3baseball.com West All-Region Second Team and the 2021 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III West All-Region First Team as well as the 2021 Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Men's College Baseball Team. He led the conference in batting average, hits, RBI, and total bases and ranked in the top 10 in seven more individual statistical categories. He went 8-2 with a 4.09 ERA and led the conference in wins, strikeouts, and opposing batting average and ranked second in ERA and innings pitched. He made 12 appearances (12 starts) and tossed one complete game … He was a finalist for SCAC Hitter of the Year as he collected a team-high 65 hits, 49 RBI, and a .404 batting average.

Junior RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) is back as the Gents' primary closer after being named to the 2021 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III West All-Region Team last season. Primeaux, who earned a spot on the second team, had a breakout sophomore season as he earned First-Team All-SCAC honors as a relief pitcher. He led the country in division III in saves with 10 and also led the conference in the category and led SCAC in ERA (3.22). In a team-high 27 appearances, Primeaux went 3-4 and in 64.1 innings pitched he allowed just 56 hits with only 23 earned runs. He struck out 58 batters and averaged 8.11 strikeouts per nine innings. He was named SCAC Pitcher of the Week on March 9.

Senior DH/OF Tyler Welch (Lake Charles, La.) is also back and will be one of the Gents' top offensive threats in 2022. He joined Ludwick and Primeaux on the 2021 D3baseball.com West All-Region Team as he earned a spot on the second team. Welch had a superb 2021 season for the Gents as he hit .383 with an on-base percentage of .430 and slugged .539. He collected 49 hits, scored 28 runs, had 28 RBI, and had 14 extra-base hits which included 10 doubles. In 128 at-bats he only struck out 10 times while drawing 13 walks. He recorded 17 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games. Welch earned a spot on the 2021 SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team as he went 5-9 at the plate in two games with three RBI, four runs scored, and four doubles.

Centenary, which returns seven everyday starters and its top two pitchers, opens the season at home on Friday, Feb. 4 versus Willamette University at 4:30 p.m. The Gents are set to begin SCAC play on March 18 at Texas Lutheran and will play host to Trinity March 25-27 in their first conference home series. 

See the complete Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/schedule

Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests but be advised of current COVID-19 protocols for fans. Updated COVID-19 information is now available via www.GoCentenary.com.

Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change.