The Georgia Southern baseball team opens the 2025 season Friday at J.I. Clements Stadium with a three-game series against Western Carolina. 

The Eagles are coming off 33-26 season where they went 17-13 in the Sun Belt and were runners up in the conference tournament for the third time in the last four years.

The Eagles lose a few familiar faces like Jarrett Brown, Sam Blancato, Ty Fisher and Mitchell Gross. Thomas Higgins and Ben Johnson were both selected in the MLB draft, leaving the Eagles with quite a few holes to fill, particularly on the pitching staff.

Head coach Rodney Hennon will be looking to a few freshmen and a few players who came in through the transfer portal to try and get the Eagles back to the post season after missing the NCAA tournament last year.

“We have some older position players and I think we've got a chance to have some to be strong up the middle of the field,” Hennon said. “I've got some depth at the catching position. I mean that we got four guys that I think we would be comfortable starting any of the four back there behind a plate. I don't think I've ever been able to say that.”

“In the middle infield, we have two seniors in Kade Parker and Luke Odden. Josh Tate can come in there and play as well, but we're going to try to start the season with him in centerfield. We lost a key defensive player in the infield with Jarrett Brown but Nico Senese is a guy we added over a third base. Nico is similar to Jarrett in the standpoint I always felt like Jarett was a shortstop playing third base and I kind of feel the same way about Nico who came over from Georgia Tech.”

On the mound, the Eagles will have the most new faces and will sport the most lefthanded pitchers that have been on an Eagle staff.

“Jacob Phillips threw some innings last year for us and he will get the start Saturday,” Hennon said. “Joey White and Jacob Phillips both of have continued to improve. Kade Grundy who is a Louisville transfer will get the start opening night and he obviously pitched at a high level in the ACC. We have 11 left-handed pictures on the roster, which is probably the most I can ever remember us having.”

The Eagles open the season against Hennon’s alma mater in Western Carolina, which is now being led by former Eagle associate head coach Alan Beck.

“We are looking forward to getting cranked up and get chance to go out and compete against somebody else,” Hennon said. “Obviously Alan is there now and Jeff Cory was on our staff as well. It will be a fun way to start the year you know they're going to bring in a good team. They're going to be well coached and they're going to play hard so it will be a challenge for us to start in season.”

The Eagles will open things up Friday at 6:30 followed by a 2 p.m. start Saturday and a 1 p.m. start Sunday.