UPDATED START TIME: Baseball Bulldogs get cranked up Saturday

UPDATE: Saturday's game will now start at 2 p.m., the Bulldogs will play one game in Baton Rouge on Monday.

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast's 2024 baseball team has a strong core of players returning with an infusion of new talent from the high school ranks and college transfers, providing a big dose of optimism heading into the season opener Saturday.

The Bulldogs' first game was pushed back to Saturday because of the weather, and a single nine-inning game against Baton Rouge is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. at Ken "Curly" Farris Field. The teams will play a single nine-inning game Monday in the Louisiana state capital.

Gulf Coast's Bob Keller is a do-the-right-things-each-day kind of coach. He talks about not losing focus on getting better each time you go out on the field or into the cages.

"Every year you want to win a conference championship," he said. "You want to get to the postseason and go to the World Series. When you start talking about that too much, you put the cart ahead of the horse. At the same time, it needs to come up in some conversations so they guys know what the expectations are. We're trying to win and taking steps to do that every day."

The Bulldogs' home games are being streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch. Tickets, including $75 season passes, can be purchased at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets. For the first time, online tickets will be cheaper. They will cost $7 for adults and $5 for youth. At the game, the prices go up to $10 and $7.

The complete schedule can be found at https://www.mgcccbulldogs.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/schedule.

Keller's job filling out a lineup card will be tougher just because there's more talent in his dugout.

"We have a lot of depth this year, both on the mound and in the field," he said. "It's good to see some sophomores on the mound, and to get Brody Swindle back after not having him in the fall. Having him and Brandon Cain on the mound are two main pieces which allows us to create some bullpen depth with some transfers."

Swindle (So., Fairhope, Ala./Bayside Academy), a Jacksonville State signee, started nine game for the Bulldogs last year, going 3-5. Cain (So., Mobile, Ala./Baker), an Oklahoma signee, went 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA at Coastal Alabama-North last year, and is also an outstanding outfielder and middle infielder.

Blake King (So., Petal/Petal), a UAB signee, went 3-4 with 5.43 ERA last year, and Adrian Byrd (So., Wiggins/Stone) made 17 appearances.

Jayden Mark (So., Petal/Petal) and Ty Mancha (So., Albuquerque, N.M./Mobile Christian) figure to split action behind the plate, at first base and as designated hitter. Mark had 33 RBI last year, and Mancha hit .304. Seth Sterling (Fr., Vicksburg/Warren Central) swung the bat well in the fall and will improve the catching depth.

Charlie Keller (So., Mobile, Ala./Mobile Christian), who signed with Jacksonville State, will also be in the mix at the corners and as a DH. He had 16 homers in 32 games before being lost to injury, and he's still rounding back into shape.

"I feel really good about us up the middle because Marc Stephens is such a steady hand there," Bob Keller said. "Cain can play infield, outfield or pitch. He's a really valuable piece for us."

Stephens (So., Orange Beach, Ala./Gulf Shores), who signed with Campbell, batted .340 with five homers and 35 RBI. He played in all 46 games.

Charlie Olsen (So., Gulfport/Gulfport) batted .269 as a freshman outfielder and made big leaps in the fall. Keilon Parnell (Fr., Pascagoula/Pascagoula) transferred in at the break from Mississippi State, and he figures to get on base and terrorize defenses with his speed.

There's lots of depth out there, with Keondre Fields (Fr., Nesbit/Magnolia Heights) having return to his home state after spending the fall at Missouri. Dom Jackson (Fr., Gulf Breeze, Fla./Gulf Breeze) is a power-hitting outfielder who transferred in from Xavier University in Cincinnati. 

Kaden Irving (Fr., Gautier/Gautier) transferred in from Ole Miss, and he'll be in the mix in the outfield and infield. Jacob Palazzo (Fr., Gulfport/Gulfport) impressed the coaching staff in the fall, too.

"We'll be able to score runs in a variety of ways," Keller said. "It could be through pressure with some speed. We've got some guys with a combination of speed and athleticism, and we have a few guys who can knock the ball out of the park. It's going to be a matter taking care of the ball defensively and getting the leadoff guy out."

The Bulldogs play in one of the most challenging conferences in the country. Three teams are in the NJCAA top-20, with second-ranked LSU Eunice jumping into the regional tournament picture at the end of the season.

"It's the same old conference with competitive fire from every single team," Keller said. "It's a tough conference, a physical conference. Last year, I think the conference saw over 30 guys go Division I, so you're going to be facing really good pitching. I think every team has a few guys who can leave the yard at any moment. You have to be aggressive pitching and pound the zone."

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