2024 Season Preview: Centenary Baseball
In a time of unprecedented transition and transformation within the world of Centenary Athletics, one constant is the continued success and annual high expectations for the baseball baseball program.
Shreveport – In a time of unprecedented transition and transformation within the world of Centenary Athletics, one constant is the continued success and annual high expectations for the baseball program.
The Diamond Gents, led by veteran head coach Mike Diaz, are coming off of another successful season in 2023 as they finished 23-15 overall and 13-7 in SCAC play, earning the No. 3 seed in the SCAC Championship in Cleburne, Texas.
Diaz became the all-time winningest coach in program history with his 292nd win with the Maroon and White on April 16 at home versus Schreiner. Diaz, entering his 14th season, is now 299-211-1, and has passed former HC Ed McCann (1999-2010) for the all-time wins mark.
Centenary, winners of SCAC Tournament titles in 2017 and 2022 which led to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, begins its run toward another championship on Saturday, Feb. 10 at home when the Diamond Gents face Rhodes College in a non-conference doubleheader at Shehee Stadium.
2023 Season Recap:
The Diamond Gents hit .301 as a team and averaged six runs per game. Centenary finished the season scoring double digit runs in a game 10 times and posted 10+ hits in a game an impressive 22 times. Centenary pitched well all season, finishing with a 3.30 team ERA, which is the second-lowest in a single season in the division III era (2012-present). Centenary has now won 13 or more conference games in the regular season seven times in the D3 era.
Ten players were named to the All-SCAC Team and two made the SCAC Championship All-Tournament squad. All-American senior RHP Parker Primeaux earned multiple All-Region honors anchored the pitching staff as he turned in one of the finest seasons in program history, finishing a perfect 8-0 with a 2.13 ERA (48th in country) in 19 appearances (nine starts) and had three saves and three complete games.
He is the first Centenary pitcher in the D3 era to finish a season undefeated, was named First-Team All-SCAC, and named to the 2023 SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team. He was just one of 11 pitchers in the country in all of division III to win at least eight games and go undefeated. He received two votes for conference Pitcher of the Year.
Sophomore RHP Aidan Reichek (Bellaire, Texas) burst onto the scene as a rookie last season as he was named the SCAC Freshman of the Year after finishing fifth in the conference in ERA (2.42) in the regular season and tossed a no-hitter against Dallas at home on March 25, which was the first thrown since Matthew Devillier held Austin College hitless on April 20, 2018. Reichek and Devillier's no-hitters are the only two in the division III era (2012-present) in program history.
He finished the season 3-2 with a 3.44 ERA and two CG's in 13 appearances and seven starts. In 49.2 IP, he struck out 44 and walked only 13. He nearly threw his second no-hitter of the season on April 22 against Southwestern as he held the Pirates hitless for 6.2 innings. Reichek, named Honorable-Mention All-SCAC, went six or more innings in four starts and struck out six or more batters three times.
Sophomore OF Carson Livesay (Lafayette, La.) was Centenary's leading hitter as has was one of the top players all season in the conference. The rookie finished a team-best .388 (.469 OBP/.525 slugging) with a team-high 54 hits (tied with Hewitt), 41 runs scored, and nine doubles. He also had two triples, two homers, 20 RBI, 19 BB, and 13 stolen bases as he ranked in the top 10 in the conference in a multitude of offensive categories. Livesay only struck out 23 times in 139 at-bats and had 17 multi-hit games this season including eight 3-hit performances. He earned Honorable-Mention All-SCAC honors, earned a spot on the SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team, and was named to the 2023 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team following the season.
Senior IF Jobee Boone (Opelousas, La.) was named First-Team All-SCAC in his first season with the Diamond Gents after transferring from Delgado CC in New Orleans. Boone was one of the top offensive players in the conference all season and finished with a .327 batting average (.382/.382 on-base percentage/.381 slugging) and had 48 hits, a team-high 27 RBI, and 27 runs scored. He had five doubles, a homer, 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts, and in 147 at-bats he only struck out nine times while drawing eight walks. He had 15 multi-hit performances this season which includes a 5-hit game and a pair of 3-hit games. Boone did not strike out in his final 33 at-bats of the season.
Sophomore 3B Clay Menard (Berwick, La.) earned First-Team All-SCAC honors following an impressive rookie season which he hit .326 (.446 OBP/.348 slugging %) with 30 hits, 17 runs scored, and 13 RBI. He had two doubles and four stolen bases. Menard was very patient at the plate as he drew 18 walks against just 17 K's in 92 at-bats. He recorded five multi-hit games which included a trio of three-hit performances and had four games with at least two walks.
Sophomore 1B Collin Pitts (Lufkin, Texas) settled in as the Diamond Gents' starting first baseman halfway through the season and turned in an impressive rookie campaign as he earned Second-Team All-SCAC honors. He hit .329 (.400 OBP/.482 slugging %) with 28 hits in 85 at-bats. Pitts belted three home runs, second on the team, with 21 RBI and added four doubles. Pitts recorded seven multi-hit games with six coming in conference play. He stole seven bases, walked 11 times, and finished with a .996 fielding % as he committed only one error in 235 total chances.
Senior RF Austyn Benoit (Welsh, La.), sophomore DH/OF Lenny Forth (Flower Mound, Texas), and All-American junior LHP Tyler Herrera (Spring, Texas) joined Livesay and Reichek in garnering Honorable-Mention All-SCAC honors and a trio of pitchers – sophomore RHP Jacob Broussard (Houston, Texas) and sophomore LHP Cody Myers (Friendswood, Texas) both had impressive seasons on the mound. Junior Zachery Van Gorkom (Shreveport, La.) was named to the 2022-23 Academic All-District® Baseball Team by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) following the season.
Diaz's 2024 coaching staff includes three familiar faces as a trio of former Diamond Gents are in the dugout this season - Chris Zapata, who starred for the Gents from 2015-18, is the latest addition to the staff. The California native was a First-Team All-American as a junior in 2017 and earned All-Region honors in 2016 and 2017. He was named the SCAC Player of the Year in 2017, Freshman of the Year in 2015, and was a four-time All-conference player. Zapata is in the all-time top 10 in 17 different statistical categories as arguably the top offensive player in program history in the division III era (2012-present).
Cody Crowder enters his third season with the program after joining the staff in 2021 as a volunteer coach. He was elevated to Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator on Feb. 1, 2022. He finished his career in 2021 as one of the most decorated players in the D3 era of the program and holds a multitude of all-time individual program records. Crowder capped his record-breaking Diamond Gents' career with a stellar senior season as he ranked in the top 10 in the SCAC in 11 individual statistical categories. He was named to the 2021 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III West All-Region Team, making the Third Team and also named a Third Team selection on the 2021 D3baseball.com West All-Region Team.
Tyler Welch enters his first season as Assistant Coach after playing for the Diamond Gents from 2018-22. He graduated in May of 2021 with a double major in History and Political Science while being named to the Spring SCAC Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll three times.
Welch, a native of Pineville, La., finished his career as one of the most versatile players in program history in the division III era (2012-present) as he found himself filling many roles on the field. He was a standout player as he was named to the 2021 D3baseball.com All-Region Team, and was a two-time All-Conference selection. Welch ranks in the top 10 all-time in 19 statistical categories – both hitting and pitching.
2024 Outlook:
Centenary was picked to finish second in the conference this season in the preseason poll released on Jan. 31 based on balloting from the league's head coaches.
The Diamond Gents, coming off their eighth 20-plus win season since 2013, secured the final first-place vote and finished with 51 total points. Trinity University is the preseason favorite after the Tigers received seven first-place votes to top the coaches' poll with 62 points. This is the highest predicted finish for Centenary since the Maroon and White were picked to win the title prior to the 2018 campaign.
Centenary, who received two votes in the 2024 D3baseball.com/NCBWA Preseason Top 25 Poll released on Jan. 17, have been picked to finish fourth or better in the conference in each of the last eight seasons.
"We have a great group of young guys returning from last year on the offensive side of the ball that have a lot of experience now," said Diaz.
"We have three starting arms returning that pitched a lot last year, and have added some depth in the bullpen with some young guys and transfers. Looking forward to a tough pre-conference schedule to see what the year will hold."
The Diamond Gents are blessed with an abundantly talented roster with strength in all facets of its team. As Diaz referenced, three starters – Herrera, Myers, and Reichek are back this season to give Centenary one of the league's most gifted trio of arms. Broussard is also back and is expected to be one of the teams' top bullpen arms. He was one of the league's top relievers last season as a rookie as he finished fourth in the SCAC in appearances (18) and his 17 games in a relief role ranked third. He went 1-3 with 2.05 ERA and made one start and had two saves, which was tied for the team lead.
Seven starting position players also return – Benoit, Boone, Forth, senior C Jake Gonce (Katy, Texas), Livesay, Menard, and Pitts. Those seven are expected to be joined in the everyday lineup by sophomore OF Andrew Landry (Gonzalez, La.) and freshman IF Braeden Morse (Pearland, Texas). Centenary returns nearly 30 players from last season and roughly the same number have joined the roster.
Schedule:
Centenary is scheduled to play 38 regular- season contests – 14 at home and 24 road/neutral site games. The Diamond Gents will play 21 SCAC contests – nine at home and 12 on the road.
Conference play begins on Saturday, March 16 on the road at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas. Centenary's first league series at home is set for March 23-24 against Austin College. The Diamond Gents also face Southwestern University and Trinity at home and in addition to facing Dallas on the road they will play Schreiner University, the University of St. Thomas, and Texas Lutheran University.
The Diamond Gents will play three games in the Hendrix College Invitational Feb. 16-17 in Conway, Ark. and then head to California to play Occidental College three times Feb. 23-24 and Chapman on Feb. 25.
Centenary will also play non-conference games against the University of Texas at Dallas and LeTourneau University this season. Two regular-season opponents – Chapman (18) and Trinity (22), are ranked in the 2024 D3baseball.com/NCBWA Preseason Top 25 Poll and three others – Rhodes, Texas Lutheran, and Washington (Mo.) are, like Centenary, receiving votes. Centenary is a member of the West (Region 10) Region in division III.
Centenary's final road series of the regular season is at TLU in Seguin, Texas on April 19-20 and the Diamond Gents will wrap up the regular season at home against Trinity on April 26-27.
Centenary, 13-7 at home last season, is 46-15 at Shehee Stadium since the beginning of the 2021 season. The Gents set a D3 era single-season record for home wins (17) during that 2021 season as they won their first 16 at Shehee Stadium. The Diamond Gents went 10-8 in road/neutral games last season.
The 2024 SCAC Baseball Championship is scheduled for May 3-5 in Cleburne, Texas. Centenary has appeared in the SCAC Championship game five times in its history, winning it twice and finishing as runner-up in 2013, 2015, and 2018. The top four teams in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the 2024 SCAC Tournament.
Check out the D3baseball.com West Region Preview here: https://www.d3baseball.com/notables/2024/02/previews/Region-10-preview
Check out the complete preseason SCAC poll here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/releases/20240131livlg1
See the complete Diamond Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests. Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change.
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