News

The Southern Wesleyan University baseball program will be hosting its second Kid’s Day on Saturday, April 7, at 1 p.m. The Warriors will be welcoming nationally-ranked Lee University to Dr. C. Keith Connor Field with gates opening at noon.

The Warriors hosted the first Kid’s Day back in March and the turnout was so successful that the April 7 date has been added to the schedule.

“We had a great turnout back in March with close to one hundred kids in attendance,” said head coach Mike Gillespie. “The atmosphere was great and everyone enjoyed the games. We haveLee University coming in this weekend and we want the same type of electric environment. Our students will be away for Easter break, so we really want the community to step up and fill the stadium. Lee is nationally ranked and one game ahead of us in the conference standings so it is shaping up to be a great weekend.”

LeeUniversity, ranked 6th in the nation at 29-9 overall, will be bringing in a storied tradition of baseball including a trip in 2005 to the NAIA World Series. Southern Wesleyan is currently 25-12 overall and ranked 6th in the latest NAIA Region XIII poll. The Warriors have not yet broken into the national poll.

Southern Wesleyan is being led at the plate by junior Kody Hightower, hitting .411 with four homeruns and 32 rbi. Hightower, along with teammate Davey Blackburn, are in the top 10 in the conference in hitting. Blackburn is hitting at a .398 clip and leads the Warriors in doubles with 15 and rbi with 36. Hightower is ranked in the top 20 in the country with his batting average of .411 and leads the team in hits with 58 and is tied with Brandon Brown in homeruns. Both players have four on the season.

On the mound the Warriors are being lead by sophomore Brett Hoogkamp with a 6-2 record and 2.13 era. The sophomore hurler has been the most consistent for the squad as a starter. The bullpen is lead by freshman MattCape with a 3-0 record and 0.77 era. Senior John Magni leads the team in saves with six and is currently leading the SSAC in the saves column and is 7th in the nation. Magni is behind national saves leader Hayden Lackey of Texas Wesleyan. Lackey leads the country with nine saves and is no stranger to this part of the upstate as he played last summer in the SCBL with the Carolina Chaos. The Chaos play their games at Southern Wesleyan University during the months of June and July.

All children arriving at the park by 12:40 p.m. on April 7 will be able to take the field with the Warriors for the National Anthem. All children in attendance will also receive free admission and a free drink.