Grambling isn’t getting much attention in this baseball preseason.
First-year coach James Cooper understands it, even embraces it.
“After the first half, we are not going to be sneaking up on people anymore,” said Cooper, who opens the new baseball season this weekend with a three-game series at Stephen F. Austin. “We are going to hit and we can catch.”
Grambling’s home opener is Feb. 23 against LA Tech. Its first Southwestern Athletic Conference series is against Texas Southern on March 26.
Coming off a third-place finish in the SWAC’s West Division, Grambling is again picked at No. 3 by Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports — who published an all-conference preseason team this week that included no players from GSU.
Consensus pick to win it all again: Defending SWAC baseball tournament champion Southern, coming off a 17-6 campaign that saw veteran coach Roger Cador advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005.
“Southern returned to its winning ways after taking a few years hiatus from the catbird seat in the SWAC,” CollegeBaseballToday.com noted.
“The Jaguars welcome back several key players, including ace pitcher Jarrett Maloy and outfielder James Armstrong,” Rogers said. “Jackson State also welcomes back several key cogs. Alcorn State and Texas Southern are the prime candidates to be pleasant surprises.”
Alcorn State — which boasts slugger Eduardo Gonzalez, the SWAC’s best hitter, according to Rogers — lured away former Grambling coach Barret Rey during the offseason. That prompted the promotion of Cooper, an All-Southwestern Athletic Conference outfielder under local legend Wilbert Ellis and graduate assistant coach under Rey.
“Southern,” CollegeBaseballToday.com says, “still seems a bit too strong for the up-and-coming programs over there.”
Cooper likes to think that list of up-and-comers includes Grambling, which finished well last season and has a deceptive amount of experience in its “new” coach.
“I come in as a former graduate assistant, so all of the guys that are seniors this year, I was here when they were freshman,” Cooper said. “I have seen them in the heat of the moment, and I know what they can do.”
Cooper is still at work developing a starting rotation, having spent the early portion of the week getting the Grambling field in shape after last week’s rare snowfall.
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Good luck Coach…I have a feeling you will do well for us and the program!