The Roster: For the eighth straight season, the Georgia Southern baseball team will look to eclipse 30 wins. However, after losing a number of key contributors, the program was forced to replace a considerable amount of production.

2021 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Mason McWhorter highlights the departures from the program. Catcher Matt Anderson and infielder Steven Curry also departed after lengthy careers with the Eagles.

The pitching rotation took the biggest hit in the offseason, with first-team All-American pitcher Nick Jones and Jordan Jackson both heard their name called during the MLB Draft. Freshman pitcher Chase Dollander transferred to Tennessee, who will host the Eagles to open the season. Tyler Owens and Jacob Parker also saw their careers in Statesboro come to an end.

To offset the losses, the Eagles added eight transfers during the offseason. Two pitchers, Brooks Gorman and Thomas Ross, transferred from Gordon State as a sort of package deal. However, the highlight of the offseason, was the program’s addition of five Division I transfers, including two from SEC schools.

The Schedule: As has become the norm, the Eagles have not shied away from scheduling tough teams outside of conference play.

GS will open the season with a weekend series at No. 19 Tennessee, who is fresh off a College World Series appearance. Just two days later, the Eagles will host No. 21 Georgia Tech, who also made the 2021 NCAA Tournament. GS and Georgia Tech will also meet in Atlanta in May.

The Eagles’ non-conference slate gets much easier after their first four games, when UCF and Miami (OH) both visit Statesboro for a weekend series. Sandwiched in between those series is a midweek matchup against Jacksonville.

However, the Eagles will then play back-to-back weekday games against No. 16 Georgia, who they split a season series with last year. The Eagles and Bulldogs will meat for a third time in late March.

William & Mary, who finished with the seventh best record in the CAA last season, will visit for the Eagles’ last weekend series before the team enters conference play.

Weekday games against Mercer (x2), College of Charleston, Kennesaw State (x2), Presbyterian and No. 11 Florida State are also littered throughout the schedule.

Predictions: The Eagles are in a weird place after last season.

Losing your best player in two different facets of the game presents a unique predicament. However, the program’s activity in the transfer portal allowed the holes to be patched.

Prediction: 34-20 (20-10 SBC), Eagles finish No. 2 in the SBC