HAMMOND, La. – The defending Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana University baseball squad opened spring workouts Monday in preparation for the upcoming 2026 season.
 
"It's good to have them back," coach Bobby Barbier said. "Not having school this first week, and starting a week earlier with the whole team, is beneficial for everyone."
 
Southeastern is coming off a 38-16 overall record and a 22-8 mark in conference action.
 
The Lions were a well-balanced ballclub in 2025. SLU led the league in home runs, ERA, double plays turned and allowed the fewest stolen bases in the Southland. In addition, the squad tied the program's single-season record for home runs (86) established just a year prior.
 
In his third season at the helm, Barbier returns the bulk of last year's pitching staff. Despite significant losses in Aiden Vosburg and All-American Brennan Stuprich, the Lions bring back weekend starters Lakin Polk and Blake Lobell, along with Brady St. Pierre, the Southland's reigning Relief Pitcher of the Year.
 
"It's nice to have some guys with experience on the mound," Barbier said. "It's hard to put a price tag on that. We need to understand that just because some things happened last year doesn't mean they will happen again this year by chance.
 
"Brennan and Aiden were two older guys who went about their business the right way, showing the other guys a good example of what we want them to be," Barbier said. "Not only in the outcome of a performance, but their preparation every day. Having guys that can show the younger guys here for the first time how we do things, that's how you really build a program – when guys are learning from each other. They're able to see guys have success with the ways we're doing it. We've got some really talented pitchers, even some guys that didn't contribute a ton last year that have gotten better."
 
The offense will see a significant overhaul but Peyton Woods, Ben Robichaux and Mo Little return, along with All-Conference performers Dane Watts and Giovanni Licciardi.
 
"If you watch BP, it's pretty talented, but we lost producers," Barbier said. "In baseball, producers are important. In the big leagues, there are a bunch of guys who swing hard and run fast. You need guys that produce. The returners are our kind of guys. It started from day one in the fall, bringing the new guys along and showing them what we do. I'm really excited about a couple of the new guys and looking forward to seeing this team keep growing together as a group."
 
SLU begins the season with an intriguing eight-game homestand. The defending Southland champs host the defending MAC champions, Kent State, in a three-game series (Feb. 13-15) at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field to open up 2026.
 
A midweek contest (Feb. 17) against NCAA Regional host Southern Miss follows, as does a three-game series (Feb. 20-22) against SIUE. The Cougars finished 2025 as the No. 2-ranked team in the Ohio Valley Conference, despite winning the most conference games in the league. A midweek contest (Feb. 24) against South Alabama wraps up the homestand.
 
The Lions open conference action in Week 3 of the regular season, traveling to Northwestern State for a three-game series, Feb. 27-March 1, in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Following a pair of midweek games at ULM, Southeastern returns home to host Grambling in a three-game series.
 
SLU hosts Stephen F. Austin in a Southland series, March 13-15. Other conference squads making the trek to Hammond include Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (April 10-12) and the aforementioned Huskies of HCU (April 24-26).
 
The Oklahoma Sooners, an NCAA Regional participant last season, make their first-ever trip to Hammond for a non-conference matchup, March 17, at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Additional schedule highlights include a trip to LSU to face the defending national champions, April 28, hosting New Orleans in the annual Pontchartrain Bowl series, March 27-29, and closing out the regular season with a conference series in Hammond against in-state rival Nicholls, May 7-9.
 
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets are currently on sale through the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office. Fans can purchase tickets by calling (985) 549-5466 or stopping by the office in West Strawberry Stadium. Office hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Fridays.
 
This year, one lucky season ticket holder will be chosen to receive an autographed team jersey, an autographed centennial bat, a tour of the facility with a student-athlete of your choice and the opportunity to sit in the athletics director's seats for one game.
 
All season ticket holders will receive a calendar magnet and a concessions punch card. Family Pack season ticket holders will receive one free drink per game. The limit is one per customer and concession vouchers are valid only at Southeastern-run concession stands.
 
DIAMOND CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the baseball program are encouraged to join the Diamond Club. Lion baseball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and the S Club (baseball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern baseball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or by visiting www.LionUp.com.
  
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Southeastern Baseball social media accounts (@LionUpBaseball) on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay engaged with the program.
 
The latest updates are also available at www.LionSports.net and the Lions Gameday Experience app. Available for both Android and iOS devices, the Gameday app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.