DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 2014 season is officially under way for Bethune-Cookman baseball, as the Wildcats conducted their first team practice of the season, Friday (Jan. 24) afternoon at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Braving a gusty day with temperatures dropping as low as the mid-forties by the close of practice, the Wildcats showed nothing but enthusiasm and hustle in laying the foundation for the 2014 season, with the Wildcats seeking their 17th conference title in May.
“I'm excited about what I saw today,” third-year Head Coach Jason Beverlin said. “They came out with a lot of energy and got after it all day long.”
The uncharacteristically cold 2014 winter in Daytona Beach may just be the building block in preparing the Wildcats with the tools to overcome adversity in the coming season. The Wildcats finished the 2013 campaign with a 34-25 record, missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight seasons after falling in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship Final to Savannah State.
“They didn't let it bother them at all,” Beverlin noted of the weather. “They did a great job of coming out and playing hard. That's really what we preach, and they did a good job of following through with it.”
There's a big boost in personnel for 2014, as the Wildcats were sporting a roster of 35 for the opening day of practices. In 2013, B-CU battled through injuries in the preseason, forcing the program to field a playing roster of 23. B-CU also earned the 34 wins with a pitching staff of just 13, six of which were position players as well.
Reaping the rewards of recruiting in the fall, the bullpen will not be a numbers concern in 2014, with 19 pitchers currently on the staff, representing a large portion of the team's 17 newcomers taking the field on Friday. According to Beverlin, the transition from fall to spring has been outstanding.
“There's no question we picked up where we left off in the fall,” Beverlin said. “That's why I'm so excited, and they did a great job.”
After a heavy dose of drills and batting practice, the Wildcats took the field for the first scrimmage of the year, playing four and a half innings and working nine pitchers into action. Though a natural emphasis draws on the quality of the pitching and hitting, it was the execution of one crucial, fundamental skill that drew Beverlin's attention on Friday afternoon.
“Our base running was as good as it's been,” Beverlin noted. “The guys' aggressiveness today was outstanding and something we're really going to build on. That could be a big strength for our team.”
The Wildcats will open the 2014 season with a three-game series versus Cal State Northridge, Feb. 14-16 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, and will play seven of the first 10 games at home.
For all the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, follow the official Twitter feeds, @CookmanBaseball and @BCUathletics, or “Like Us” on Facebook at BCUAthletics. To join the conversation on social media, be sure to tag your B-CU-related posts with the official hashtag of the 2014 season, #BuiltToWin, and don't forget about #HailWildcats.
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