DANVILLE, Va. — The Averett University baseball program opens up another campaign this spring under the direction of new head coach Drew Bailey. The Cougars are excited for a fresh start as they head into their 23rd year of competition.
 
Averett kicks off its season on Friday, Feb. 9, with a doubleheader at Washington and Lee University. First pitch for game one is set for 3:30 p.m.
 
FIVE KEYS TO THE 2018 SEASON
 
ACCOUNTABILITY
During preseason, Bailey has stressed the importance and positive impact that structure and accountability have on collegiate athletes. This mindset will be at the core of everything that the coaching staff implements and it will be crucial for the team to buy into so that Averett has the potential to compete at a high level.
 
PITCHING
A fundamental principle of Bailey's coaching style is pitching. With the experience that Bailey has pitching collegiately for Division II and at the professional level for the Oakland Athletics Single A affiliate, look for Averett to emphasize development in that area. Bailey will have a keen eye for pitching mechanics and ways to help his pitchers achieve more strikeouts.
 
LIMITING MISTAKES
According to Bailey, one of the biggest keys to having success in his first year at Averett is going to be taking care of the baseball. Errors are a part of the game, but limiting those occurrences will only put the Cougars in position to win ball games. On the flip side, Bailey wants his players to play aggressively and force the opposing teams to make plays on them.
 
NEW & OLD
The Cougar roster this year will be a mix of returners and newcomers that the coaching staff will have at their disposal on a daily basis. A few returners to keep an eye on are juniors Kyle Vidano, Matt Tuggle and A.J. Hart while fans should be excited for the Averett debuts of sophomore transfer Cody Jones and freshmen Ryan Traylor and Cole Spain. The quicker this team can gel under Bailey's system will only open the door for the team to exceed expectations.
 
HOME COOKIN'
The regular season schedule this year consists of 22 home games compared to 16 away which gives Averett a huge opportunity to run with. Protecting home field advantage and playing well in their own atmosphere will be crucial to the Cougars' success.