The Rogers State University Hillcat baseball team has announced its spring schedule, which will include more than 30 games.
The Hillcats open the season Feb. 11 with a doubleheader against Missouri Valley College at Oologah High School. The baseball season will run through April 27.
This is the first extensive spring schedule for the Hillcat baseball program, which previously operated as a university club sport until fall 2005, when the university’s athletic program was accepted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
RSU head baseball coach Ron Bradley said he is pleased with the development of his team.
“In a short period of time, I think that we have established a solid foundation for developing a really good program here at RSU that will provide a lot of excitement for the students and the community,” he said.
The Hillcats will be playing its “home” baseball games at area high schools and Claremore Legion field until work is completed on the new RSU baseball and softball fields, located on Blue Starr Drive next to the Claremore Veterans Center. The first game tentatively scheduled for the new RSU fields is March 21 against Southern Nazarene University.
The RSU Hillcat baseball schedule includes the following games and tournaments:
Feb. 11, Missouri Valley College, Oologah High School, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Feb. 12, Missouri Valley College, Oologah High School, 1:00 p.m.
Feb. 13, Bacone College, Pryor High School, 1:00 p.m.
Feb. 18, Baker University, at Bethany, 1:00 p.m. (7 inning game)
Feb. 18, Southern Nazarene University, at Bethany, 3:30 p.m. (7 inning game)
Feb. 21, Oklahoma Baptist University, at Shawnee, 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 24, William Jewell College, Broken Arrow High School, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Feb. 25, Bethany College, Claremore-Legion Field, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Feb. 28, School of the Ozarks, at Branson, Mo., 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Mar. 2, Oklahoma Baptist University, home game, location TBA, 2:30 p.m.
Mar. 4, St. Gregory’s University, Claremore-Legion Field, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Mar. 6, Evangel University, at Springfield, Mo., noon (DH)
Mar. 11, College of the Ozarks, home game, location TBA, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Mar. 13, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, at Weatherford, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Mar. 14, University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma, at Chickasha, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Mar. 15, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, at Bartlesville, 1:30 p.m. (7 inning game)
Mar. 15, Central Methodist University, at Bartlesville, 4:00 p.m. (7 inning game)
Mar. 21, Southern Nazarene University, RSU Baseball Field, 2:00 p.m. (DH)
Mar. 24-25, Joplin Tournament, at Joplin, Mo.
Mar. 28, St. Gregory’s University, at Shawnee, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Mar. 31, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, at Miami, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Apr. 3, Bacone College, at Muskogee, 3:00 p.m.
Apr. 8, Mid-America Christian University, at Oklahoma City, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Apr. 11, William Jewell College, at Liberty, Mo., 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Apr. 15, Mid-America Christian University, RSU Baseball Field, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Apr. 18, Oklahoma City University, at Oklahoma City, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Apr. 19, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, RSU Baseball Field, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Apr. 23, Bethany College, at Lindsborg, Kan., 2:00 p.m. (DH)
Apr. 24, Newman University, at Wichita, Kan., 5:00 p.m.
Apr. 27, Northeastern Oklahoma State University, Claremore-Legion Field, 6:30 p.m.
The RSU baseball team is fielding 26 players with a variety of high school and junior college experience. The roster, listed by position, classification and high school, with college experience noted in parentheses, includes:
Chip Benson, catcher, senior, Claremore (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College); Jake Brumble, second base/shortstop, junior, Jenks (Hutchinson Community College); Eric Bunch, senior, catcher/outfielder, Collinsville (Labette Community College); Jonathan Carnes, freshman, shortstop/outfielder, Glenpool; Dusty Carriger, left-handed pitcher, junior, Claremore Sequoyah (Cowley County Community College); Chris Castle, junior, third base/right-handed pitcher, Claremore (Connors State College); Daniel Goodwin, senior, right-handed pitcher, Claremore (St. Gregory’s University); Dustin Gunnells, junior, right-handed pitcher, Claremore Sequoyah (Coffeyville Community College); Travis Harold, sophomore, outfielder, Oologah; Michael Hicks, freshman, outfielder/catcher, Cushing; Bryan Hollenbeck, junior, right-handed pitcher, Collinsville (Cowley County Community College); Brett Hollingsworth, sophomore, third base, Pryor; Anthony Hurst, freshman, outfielder, Owasso; Timon Johnson, sophomore, left-handed pitcher/outfielder, Union; Jamie Johnston, sophomore, right-handed pitcher, Oologah; Jesse Johnston, sophomore, second base, Oologah; Austin Jones, senior, left-handed pitcher, Kaufman, Texas (Coffeyville Community College); Todd Koscheski, senior, first base, Claremore (Coffeyville Community College); David Munoz, sophomore, right-handed pitcher, Tulsa Memorial; Trent Patterson, freshman, outfielder, Broken Arrow; Lance Powers, junior, outfielder/shortstop, Guthrie (Connors State College); Zach Stuckey, junior, right-handed pitcher, Skiatook (Northern Oklahoma College-Enid); Blake Sunderland, junior, third base, Coweta (Labette Community College); Zac Taylor, junior, right-handed pitcher, Bishop Kelley (New Mexico Military Institute); Chris Treibt, freshman, right-handed pitcher/second base, Collinsville; and Matt York, freshman, left-handed pitcher, Claremore.
Bradley, who joined RSU in 2003 as director of physical education, has coached the RSU baseball team since its inception. He is a member of the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame and led four teams to win state baseball championships while at Claremore, Jenks and West Fork (Ark.) high schools. Robert Brown, a former assistant coach at Radford University, returns this season as an assistant coach. Aaron Gentry is serving as a volunteer assistant coach and Wes Vrska is serving as a student assistant.
For more information on RSU Hillcat baseball, call (918) 343-7782.