ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies, who were picked third in the #HLBASE Preseason Poll, look to start the season on the right foot as it heads to Jacksonville State for a four-game weekend series.

Game one and game two against Jacksonville State will be a doubleheader tomorrow (Feb. 14), with first pitch slated for 2:00 p.m. ET and 6:00 p.m. ET, with both games live on ESPN+. Saturday's game is slated for 2:00 p.m. ET, while Sunday's game will start at 2:00 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

The 2025 #HLBASE Preseason Poll was unveiled today as Oakland found itself in the same spot as last year at three. The Golden Grizzlies garnered one first place vote, as Wright State leads the poll with three first-place votes. The reigning league tournament champions Northern Kentucky sits in second, also with one first place vote, as Milwaukee, Youngstown State and Purdue Fort Wayne round out the poll.

2025 Under Armour #HLBASE Preseason Poll
Pl.       Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
1.         Wright State (3) – 33
2.         Northern Kentucky (1) – 29
3.         Oakland (1) – 19
4.         Milwaukee – 18
5.         Youngstown State (1) – 14
6.         Purdue Fort Wayne – 13

Furthermore, a trio of Golden Grizzlies earned preseason accolades, as newcomer Grant Garman was named D1Baseball's Horizon League Freshman of the Year, while Hunter Pidek and Brandon Nigh were named to Perfect Game's Preseason Horizon League All-Conference Team.

Garman, the lefty pitcher from Davison, Mich., ranked as the fifth-best left-handed pitcher in the state of Michigan, and the 25th-best pitcher overall. Garman attended Luke M. Powers Catholic and played for D Las Vegas 2024.

Also on the bump, Pidek made 15 appearances and pitched the second-most innings (75) for the Golden Grizzlies last season. The senior ranked second on the team in wins and struck out 55 batters on the season, with a season-high six against Youngstown State (3/22/24).

Nigh, picked all-conference as a utility/two-way player, appeared and started in all 58 games last season, the only Golden Grizzly to do so. He led Oakland in home runs and doubles on his way to slashin .294/.532/.430. He also appeared in four games on the mound and struck out a trio of batters.

The Golden Grizzlies are coming off a historic season record-setting wise, as it set records for most at-bats (1,981), runs scored (475), hits (590), triples (24), RBI (427), base on balls (334) and stolen bases (158). It also tied the program record for most wins at the DI level (31) and its highest fielding percentage (.971). Also, three freshman who were named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team last season return in Lucas Day, Aidan Orr and Trent Rice

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
Jacksonville State open up the season in the 10th spot (out of 10) in the Conference USA preseason poll and placed one infielder, junior Caleb Johnson, on its preseason all-conference team. Johnson was a 2024 second team all-conference honoree as the Gamecocks finished with a trio of players who were recognized by the conference. Johnson saw action in 52 games and hit at a .282 clip with 60 hits, scoring a team-high 50 runs, off 18 doubles, 10 home runs and a triple.

Gabe Young was also recognized by the league last season as he was named to the all-freshman team. The outfielders started 40 games and finished the season at .231 with 31 hits, posting seven doubles, a triple and a home run. He also recorded 20 RBI and scored 24 runs while registering six stolen bags.

The Gamecocks return after an 18-34 overall record, with a 5-19 record in conference play, with an 11-17 record on its home field. The team finished with a .258 batting average and allowed a batting average of .316, as it knocked down 446 hits, 94 doubles, 11 triples, 61 home runs and 287 RBI. The pitching core struck out 327 batters and allowed 421 runs, 572 hits, 132 doubles, 17 triples and 69 home runs.

Game one of the season is slated for 2:00 p.m. ET tomorrow (Feb. 14) and will be streamed live on ESPN+.