Caleb Bailey, Sports Editor

The Armstrong Pirates baseball team finished the 2015 season with an impressive 34–14 record, falling just short of the Peach Belt Conference championship with a 10-6 loss to Georgia College in the tournament final.

The team returns much of its 2015 roster and brings in a pair of impressive freshman for the 2016 season. These aspects helped the team be ranked number 25 in the Preseason Coaches Poll.

The team is joined by PBC foes North Georgia (No. 15), Lander (No. 32), and Flagler (No. 37). The players are excited to get the season rolling, though they know that they nothing is given, but earned.

“Being ranked in the preseason is more or less a sign of respect for last season,” senior catcher Berry Aldridge explained. “We realize that it means nothing for this team and we have to create our identity and earn every win.

The Pirates will open the season Sunday, Jan. 31, with a doubleheader against Paine College at Grayson Stadium. The first game begins at 2 p.m.