ADA, OKLA. – The East Central University baseball team will start the
Lloyd Gage era when they take the field for the first game of the 2019 season, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 at Delta State (3 p.m.). The game is part of a three-game series with the Diamond Statesman. The teams are also schedule to play a double-header, Saturday, Feb. 2, starting at 12 p.m.
Opening the season with Delta State is fitting, since ECU and the Diamond Statesman have only faced each other once in the all-time series (2/17/03 – L, 2-15), a basically new opponent for a team with new leadership and several new faces.
The season will see head coach
Lloyd Gage take the helm for the first time at ECU after spending a year at Seminole State and seven seasons as the associate head coach at Murray State College. Gage brings with him a wealth of experience and winning at the national level.
Gage helped Seminole State to a conference and NJCAA Division I Region II title and Murray State to four conference championships, two regional, district championships, two trips to the NJCAA DII World Series and a 2013 NJCAA National Championship.
The Tigers return 15 players (three redshirts) to the 2019 roster, including seven pitchers. Gage has been working with those student-athletes and the 23 newcomers to change the culture of the program from top to bottom and get everyone excited about the new system that Gage brings with him.
Sophomore
Dillon Mansell is the top returner at the plate for ECU, earning a .295 batting average on 44 at-bats, 13 hits, nine runs, two doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs. Of the seven pitchers, senior
Wyatt Austin earned the best record on the mound, going 2-1 in 14 appearances. He allowed 15 hits and 16 runs and striking out 13 batters.
ECU was picked to finish last in the 2019 Great American Conference poll after finishing 5-37 overall and 4-28 in the league in 2018. Delta State was picked second in the Gulf South Conference and is receiving votes in the NCBWA Division II Preseason Poll after finishing 42-11 overall and 23-5 in the GSC and advancing to the NCAA South Regional in 2018.
