Southeastern Community College is gearing up for a winning baseball season as they take on the Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Cobras at home on Jan. 31 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. for a double header.
This season opener will be Coy Barnett’s first official game as SCC’s new head coach and athletic director, and he is looking forward to a competitive season.
“I have preached culture and expectations all year, and I am excited to see it in action,” Barnett said. “I think our best quality as a team is the camaraderie of the group and how well the whole roster gets along.”
Southeastern Community College promises an afternoon of fun, concessions and school spirit at the season opener. The college invites all students, parents and baseball fans alike for the only collegiate level baseball action found in Columbus County. Bring your chairs, your family and your game day voices as you cheer on the Rams to victory.
Leading a team of 40 players this season, Barnett used “live game scenarios to cultivate competition and high-pressure situations every practice day” during the fall semester.
His spring practice schedule started Jan. 9, and his players have undergone weightlifting programs since August last year. To prepare for the spring season, SCC’s baseball team practices five days per week and is on the field at least four hours each day.
With a $1.2 million allotment for athletic field upgrades granted during the 2024 budget year, SCC athletics is in the refreshing process. Barnett said a number of upgrades have been made to the field, including laser graded infield dirt, the removal of infield lips, new orange fence capping, new dugout benches, new dugout flooring, a new warning track with brick chips, rebuilding of the pitcher’s mound, new back stop padding and new dugout rail padding and netting.
Future renovations to the field will include stadium lights, a covered hitting cage, concrete and turf bullpens, concrete sidewalks and sitting areas, and irrigation for the field. The field will also soon see installation of SmartField AI to collect player data, biometrics and stream games and new fencing to go around the field.
“I am very excited for this upcoming season,” said SCC Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brandon Jenkins. “Coy Barnett was brought on as the new athletic director and head baseball coach back in August last year and has absolutely hit the ground running with recruitment and improvements to the baseball field.”
Jenkins explained that community college athletics are an important component of the campus environment and culture. He said that athletics help hold SCC’s student athletes accountable and move them along their educational journey.
“I love baseball,” Jenkins said. “My son plays college baseball, so I have spent his lifetime helping him reach his goals. All athletics, but particularly baseball, teach athletes a lot of vital life lessons, such as handling failure, managing success, commitment, hard work and teamwork.”
Jenkins has high expectations for Barnett in his first year as head coach. He said that Barnett has laid a firm foundation for future seasons, and he looks forward to seeing SCC make solid playoff runs in the coming seasons.
“I’m really excited to see the growth of Coach Barnett’s team over the course of the season,” Jenkins said. “It takes a lot of hard work and attention to detail to build a successful athletic program.”
Game day tickets are $10 each and are good for single and double header games. Season passes are available for $180 which equals a savings of five free games.
For a full list of baseball games this spring, check out the official schedule here .
