JACKSON, Miss. -- In the days leading up to start of the spring sports seasons, Millsaps Athletic Communications will preview softball, baseball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf and track & field. The third in this set of previews is baseball.

Pitching
Barret Kaul is expected to again anchor the rotation for the Majors. Last year he started 10 games and led the team with 39 strikeouts. Southpaw Langston Haden is also expected to be a major factor in Jim Page's rotation this year. 

Senior Hayden Williams is back after appearing in 14 games on the mound last season, typically coming out of the bullpen. Also returning is sophomore Conner Haynes who posted a team-low 3.22 ERA in 2018.

Hitting
Millsaps is known for having good offense, and this year should be no exception. Senior Brennan Ducote was having a historic 2018 campaign before it was cut short due to injury. He hit .375 with 9 doubles, 4 home runs and 33 RBIs in just 26 games last year. He will be a welcome return to the middle of the Majors' lineup in 2019. 

Fellow outfielder Jimmy Johnstone is back after hitting .361 on his way to second team All-SAA honors last season. Last season he struck out just 14 times in 144 at bats. 

Mason Little, Jimmy Fondren and Jon Dale Dieckman all saw a meaningful number of at bats in 2018, and this year they will take on expanded roles in the lineup for the Majors. 

Defense
The infield will have a new look to it all the way around the diamond for the Majors, as Millsaps graduated starters at third base, shortstop, second base and first base. Sophomore catcher Christian Cooper returns after starting 38 games behind the plate last year. 

In the outfield Ducote and Johnstone are back in the corner positions. The pair combined to make just two errors last season. 

Schedule at a Glance
It all gets underway this weekend as the Majors host LeTourneau University and Maryville College in the Millsaps/Belhaven Invitational. Millsaps has 11 non-conference games before jumping into SAA play with a home series against Centre College March 2-3. 

The Majors will also host Birmingham-Southern, Hendrix and Oglethorpe in SAA play this year.

Another highlight of the 2019 slate is the three-game Cowboy Maloney Series against cross-town rival Belhaven. Millsaps has dominated the series as of late, winning the trophy the last three years. This year the Blazers will serve as the home team in two of three games. The lone matchup at Twenty Field is slated for March 19th.