The Morehead State baseball team, under the direction of second year Head Coach Mike McGuire, began its fall practice schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The Eagles will hold practices and intra-squad scrimmages until Oct. 25.
"We're very excited to get out there," McGuire said. "Being able to practice as a team instead of small groups is better for evaluation purposes and I expect it to generate a lot of competition."
The 2014 squad will feature 15 returning players, including second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection Kane Sweeney and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Alan Mocahbee. They will be joined by 20 newcomers to the program.
"We are throwing a lot of stuff at the new guys, and they have to learn our philosophies and way of doing things," McGuire said. "This time is really important for team chemistry. With so many new players coming in, some of the guys are still trying to figure out who is who and what everyone brings to the table."
Fall practices will be capped off by the annual Fall World Series from Oct. 18-25, which will coincide with MSU baseball parent's weekend on Oct. 18-20.
"I think we have more athleticism and are certainly deeper than we have been in the past, which is exciting," McGuire continued. "These practices will be about seeing where all of the pieces fit. So far I feel like we have quite a few interchangeable parts, which I think is an important part to building a good club."