Outfield Preview | Pitcher Preview

HAMMOND, La. – Solid pitching and defense has been a hallmark of Lion success on the baseball diamond. In his first season as head coach, Matt Riser inherits a group of catchers and infielders highly capable of carrying on the defensive tradition during the 2014 season.

Leading the way for Southeastern will be a pair of All-Southland Conference players in Jesse Buratt and Jameson Fisher.

Fisher led Southeastern during the 2013 season with a .315 batting average and a .403 on-base percentage. He will see time at first base, where he earned second-team honors on the preseason All-Southland Conference squad, as well as behind the plate and as the designated hitter.

The Zachary, La., native tied for the team lead last season with three home runs. His efforts earned him a spot on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Freshman All-America Team. He was also named to College Baseball Daily's list of the Top 100 players in college baseball, sliding onto the list at No. 69.

He was named to the Southland Conference All-Tournament Team as a first baseman, was an honorable mention for the Southland's All-Conference squad and a member of the Southland's Honor Roll.

Fisher will team with junior Sam Roberson to form the Lions' main catching corps.

"At this level, with the amount of games we play, you have to have two No. 1 catchers and build up the middle defensively," Riser said. "To have those veteran backstops it give us some options. Those guys are athletic enough they can move around to other positions or DH. We're excited about to also have that type of leadership."

Rock solid defensively, Sam Roberson is also a reliable hitter at the plate. He compiled a 17-game hitting streak (3/1-3/28) last season and over the course of the season he recorded a .239 batting average, scoring 32 runs and driving in another 24. Roberson started 45 of the Lions' 60 games behind the plate and threw out 38 percent (13-of-34) would-be base stealers. He picked off an additional three runners.

Kyle Bracey, who missed last season with an injury, will also see time behind the dish.

After earning a spot on the All-Southland third team last year, Buratt enters the season as the first-team third baseman on the Southland's preseason All-Conference squad. He recorded a .278 batting average last season with 54 hits, including 12 doubles and a triple, while knocking in 24 runs and scoring 31 times.

Buratt is one of several players that could see time at multiple positions around the diamond.

"We're a lot more athletic than last year," Riser said. "We've got guys that can play second or third. They can all mix in anywhere on the infield and be just fine defensively. It'll be a situation where roles will change throughout the year."

Brett Hoffman is prime example. He has been the primary starter at two different infield positions, second and third base, during his first two seasons in Hammond. This season the sure-handed junior is expected to see significant time at both positions yet again.

At second base, Hoffman will be pushed by junior college transfer Kevin Carr. The Chandler, Ariz., native was an All-Conference and All-Division infielder after hitting .370 with 41 RBIs and 38 runs scored for Mesa Community College.

Shortstop will be manned by Baton Rouge Community College transfer Jacob Williams. A teammate of Buratt's at BRCC, as well as at Dutchtown High School, Williams was an All-Region selection as a sophomore after hitting .308 with 30 runs scored and 22 RBIs.

"Jacob Williams is a gamer," Riser said. "He's not a real pretty player, but he just gets it done. When the lights come on, and it's time to play, there is no bigger competitor than Jacob."

Across the diamond at first base Riser will have multiple options. Both Fisher and Roberson saw action at first last season, in addition to their catching duties. Sophomore Daniel Midyett, a switch hitter who enjoyed a good summer campaign on the east coast, joins freshman outfielder Webb Bobo as solid options for the Lions.

"Webb Bobo has been swinging the bat extremely well and we're trying to find a way to get him in the lineup," Riser said. "First base is an option and that would allow us to DH one of our catchers so they can be rested come postseason play."

Also vying for time in the infield are freshmen Kennon Menard, Brooks Morse and Jordan Washam. Gabe Woods, a senior from nearby Albany, La., provides depth on the infield, in addition to seeing time in the outfield and as the designated hitter.

"We had All-Conference players, and returners that played every single game, that were still battling for spot heading into the spring," Riser said. "It's great to see that type of competition. The biggest part for us is the buy in. We've all got the same goal of winning a conference championship and whatever role they need to take for that to happen, they're ready to take."

The Lions open the 2014 season, Feb. 14-16, with a three-game series at Louisiana Tech before returning home to face preseason No. 3-ranked LSU, Feb. 19, at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

Season tickets are on sale for the 2014 baseball season. Box seats ($250), reserved chairback ($100), and upper grandstand ($60) options are available. Box seats grant membership in the Lion Athletic Association ($125 level). A family plan ($200), consisting of two adult and two youth general admission tickets, is also available.

For more information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or 1-866-LION-TIX. Ticket office hours are 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Fridays, and is located in Room 107 of the Dugas Center for Southeastern Athletics.