Tallahassee, FL - Florida A&M baseball is back and will open their 2024 season at home against Eastern Illinois in a three-game series this weekend, beginning tomorrow at 4 p.m. The 2023 SWAC champs return 20 players from last year's squad and look to defend their SWAC title.
Who: Florida A&M (0-0, 0-0 SWAC) vs. Eastern Illinois (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
When: February 16-18
Where: Moore-Kittles Field
Match up history
The Rattlers are 0-6 all-time against Eastern Illinois. The Rattlers went 0-3 in the series to open the season last year.
Preseason All-SWAC First Team
Ty Jackson (First Team, Outfielder)
Jackson is the Rattlers' leading returner in hits (76, second most in program history) and runs scored (65) for a team that had a historic season, setting new records in hits, runs scored, home runs, doubles, and runs batted in. Jackson also led the team with 24 multi-hit games and had the season's longest hitting streak at 19 games.
Sebastian Greico (First Team, Designated Hitter)
Greico is the Rattlers' leading returner in home runs (17, most in program history). Greico led the team in runs batted in (69). Greico also had 49 runs, with a slugging percentage of .612.
Janmikell Bastardo (First Team, Outfielder)
Bastardo is a starting outfielder who made a significant impact on the team. Bastardo had a batting average of .333, with 13 home runs, 55 runs, 70 hits, and a slugging percentage of .590.
Caleb Granger (First Team, Starting Pitcher)
Granger is the Rattlers top returning pitcher after starting in 14 games and earning six wins. Granger struck out 57 batters and a WHIP of 1.75.
Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
SWAC East
- Alabama State- 74 points (7)
- Bethune-Cookman- 63 points (4)
- Florida A&M- 61 points (3)
- Jackson State- 46 points (1)
- Alabama A&M- 35 points (1)
- Mississippi Valley State- 15 points
Scouting the Eastern Illinois Panthers
The Eastern Illinois baseball team was picked to finish fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. The Panthers are coming off a school-record 38-win season, a 2023 OVC Tournament Championship, and an NCAA Regional appearance. EIU veterans Zane Robbins (RHP) and Grant Lashure (C) were named to the Preseason All-OVC team.
Robbins was a 2023 First-Team All-OVC selection after recording a 4-1 record with a team-leading 1.57 ERA. He made 27 appearances, all in relief, and finished the season tied for the OVC lead in saves with seven. He is currently tied for the EIU record in career saves with a total of 18. He was named an ABCA First-Team All-Region relief pitcher.
Lashure, a catcher, was named to the All-OVC Second-Team last season after starting 43 games for the Panthers. At the plate, he finished the year with a .309 batting average, 23 runs scored, 34 RBI, and 11 doubles.
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