The 2023 Savannah State Baseball Tigers are chasing the ring they left on the diamond last year.
Despite having an historic regular season, the 2022 baseball season did not end the way the Tigers wanted. In a thrice-delayed game in the quarterfinals of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) championship, Savannah State fell to Albany State, ending a promising regular season run.
But a new season is about to begin.
The Tigers return the 2022 SIAC Player of the Year and three first-team All-SIAC starting pitchers from a team that won the SIAC regular-season title.
Savannah State (34-12 a year ago) have been picked 24th in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s Division II top 25 preseason poll and No. 10 in the highly competitive South Region.
No pressure for SIAC 2022 Coach of the Year Carlton Hardy when SSU swings into action Feb. 4 against Virginia State University.
“As a head coach, I’m always trying to get better,” Hardy said. “I don’t look too far ahead. What I’m concerned about is today. I want to make sure I do the best I can for the coaches on staff and the players on the team.”
Hardy has been the leader of the Tigers program since 2006. His voice hovers at an even keel, whether talking about last year’s 28-2 record in conference play or the 1-2 mark in the conference tournament.
“I don’t believe those three games of the tournament were indicative of our season,” Hardy said.
But regional and national preseason acknowledgment of SSU speaks volumes for 2023.
“It’s my belief, what it says is that we have a quality program here,” Hardy said. “Our kids do a great job in the classroom and on the field and it speaks to our university alums that we try to uphold a standard with the baseball program.”
Hardy points to his assistant coaches—Paul Grubesic and Jordan Bernacet—and player leadership as components of success.
Of course, talent doesn’t hurt either.
Joe Smith, the SIAC 2022 Player of the Year and a preseason honorable mention All-South Region outfielder, is back to get the Tigers started.
Smith hit .441 (fifth best in Division II) with a team-leading nine home runs and 41 runs batted in. He ended the 2022 as a first-team All-South Region honoree and played in the HBCU All-Star game.
But the team’s strength will be pitching.
Right-handers Jose Santiago, Jared Showalter and Enrico Peele return after earning first-team All-SIAC honors.
Santiago (9-1, 3.96 ERA) pitched the first game of SSU’s three-game series against conference foes and led the team in innings (86.1).
Showalter (9-1, 2.49 ERA), a preseason first-team All-South Region honoree, struck out a team-best 67 in 65 innings. Collectively, opponents hit just .211 against him.
Peele (11-3, 4.05 ERA) led the Tigers in wins and complete games (2).
If it’s possible, the starting rotation might be even stronger with the return of righthander Andrew Mann, who missed the 2022 season. Mann was 4-1 with 40 strikeouts in 34 innings during the shortened 2021 season.
“We’re fortunate, we have four guys who can be No. 1s,” Hardy said.
Rahmir Vaughn, a 2023 preseason All-SIAC honoree along with Santiago, Showalter and Peele, is expected to be key in the bullpen. He posted a 2-0 record with a 3.86 ERA in 16 appearances last season.
Offensively, SSU returns a solid nucleus of a group that hit .338 as a team (10th best in Division II) and averaged more than nine runs a game in 2022.
Smith, second baseman Champion Robbins, shortstop Gabriel Patxot, first baseman Andrai Wright and utility man Jaden Oden were all named preseason All-SIAC.
Wright had a team-leading 44 RBIs while hitting .322. Oden batted .387, second only to Smith, despite missing 15 games.
Infielders Robbins and Patxot, both preseason All-SIAC, were in the middle of many Tiger big innings. Robbins hit .373 with two homers and 42 RBIs. Patxot batted .367 with 33 RBI.
Patxot is also good with his glove, committing only seven errors in 161 chances a year ago.
“We have some guys who had good years last year and we’re looking forward to them solidifying our lineup this year,” Hardy said. “We will be an offense that will be productive and the game will dictate how we approach it. If we have to play the short game, we have the ability to do that. If we have to run the bases, we’ll do that. We’ll have a versatile offense.”
Hardy said Desmore Joseph and junior college transfers Hunter Bradshaw and TC Rushing are competing for the starting third base job. Joseph hit .326 in 22 games last season.
Hardy said newcomer Merritt Evans, a righthander, could be a significant addition on the mound.
Hardy has a 41-man roster and “everyone’s competing.”
How do you have another outstanding season?
“Going out there every day and working hard, having a great attitude and a lot of passion. Every day, just trying to get better,” Hardy said.