SEARCY – Harding baseball has waited a long time to prove that its record-setting 2011 season was not a one-time occurrence. Beginning Saturday against Maryville University, Dr. Patrick McGaha's squad has a chance to build on last season's success.
Harding and Maryville meet for a three-game weekend series at Jerry Moore Field with Saturday's doubleheader beginning at noon. The teams conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m. with a single nine-inning game.
Harding returns five starters and six pitchers from the 2011 team that won a school-record 42 games last season. The Bisons also won the Gulf South Conference West Division championship, its first regular season conference title since 1984. Harding then qualified for its first-ever NCAA Tournament.
The Bisons' top two returning position players are junior Billy Ninemire and senior Chase Presley, both of whom are preseason All-South Central Region honorees. Ninemire, who will start at third base, hit .375 and drove in 48 runs. Presley, Harding's starting second baseman, hit .335 and set a school record with 22 doubles.
Two of Harding's weekend starters from last season return and will start against Maryville. Junior Logan Holthaus, an All-GSC honoree, went 5-1 with a 3.33 ERA last season and will start the season opener. Returning from Tommy John surgery to start game two will be junior Hayden Shirley, who had 33 strikeouts in 37.1 innings in 2010. Junior Lucas Waddell, another All-GSC performer, will start Sunday's game. Waddell was 9-3 with a 4.06 ERA in 2011.
Last season, Maryville finished with a 9-35 overall record and went 5-25 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Leading the Saints will be team captains Nick Little, Bob Miller and Colby White. Little and last season's Rookie of the Year Kyle Kinyon are the top returning hitting hitters after both posted .291 averages last year. White led the team with 17 RBI and eight extra base hits. On the mound, Maryville's leading returners are Jared Green who had two wins and a 2.70 ERA last season, and Brandon Sarkissian who topped the team with 24 strikeouts.
Harding won two of three games against Maryville last season, the first-ever meeting between the schools in baseball.
Saturday's games will air live on HardingSports.com and air in their entirety on Harding's TV16 in Searcy beginning about 6 p.m.
