From January 12, 2023 post.

JACKSON, Miss. - The 2023 Belhaven Baseball campaign is just a few weeks away and the schedule for the Blazers this spring has been released. Heading into their first year in the newly formed Collegiate Conference of the South, the 2023 campaign will bring about new opposition and new challenges for the Blazers who look to build on a successful 2022 season.

The Blazers will no doubt have high expectations for their first season in the Collegiate Conference of the South after finishing the 2022 season 28-16 with a 19-11 record in the competitive American Southwest Conference. Belhaven ended their year just a step away from competing for the ASC title as they fell in the red bracket final. The year was one of positives however as their 28-win campaign was the most for the Blazers since 2015 and they finished third in the ASC after being picked to finish sixth prior to the start of the season. Expectations for 2023 were confirmed as the Blazers landed among the teams receiving votes in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll.

Belhaven will look to lean on the shoulders of a strong returning class that includes 2023 D3Baseball.com Preseason All-American Brett Sanchez and All-Region X infielder Nick Lucido. All nine of the Blazers' All-Conference selections from a year ago are set to feature for the green and gold this season with Nathan Herron, Dawson Albin, and Nick Lucido anchoring the infield while outfielder Matthew Charbonnet and utility man Kyle McLaughlin also earned recognition.

Along with Brett Sanchez, Harris Coleman returns to the rotation after his All-ASC nod and BU All-Conference relievers Will Swift and Logan Goodreau are set to bolster the bullpen. The Blazers are also set to bring in a strong class of newcomers as they look to build out their lineup and add depth for the upcoming season. 

Head Coach Kyle Palmer enters his fourth year leading the Belhaven program and had this to say the team for this upcoming season...

"There are so many reasons to be excited about Belhaven Baseball in 2023.  We have 28 players returning from last year's team and have one of the most talented group of newcomers to join us in my time here. We also have brought in two new coaches (Mikey Nantze Jr. & Collin Carroll) that share high level experience which has helped us in preparing for the season."

With a new season and a new conference the Blazers will face plenty of new competition this season and the 2023 schedule for the Blazers will look significantly different that is has over the past few seasons. The Blazers' new conference features new faces with Belhaven set to compete against Berea, Covenant, Huntingdon, LaGrange, Maryville and Piedmont in CCS action this year. Belhaven will start their campaign on February 7th when they host Rhodes College before taking their first road trip to Conway, Arkansas to square off against Hendrix College in a double header.

The Blazers first meeting against rival Millsaps and first defense of their Maloney Trophy comes on February 21st with Belhaven hosting the Majors at Trustmark Park. The second game between the two Jackson schools will be on March 7th as Belhaven once again plays host at Trustmark Park. In mid-March the Blazers compete in a two-day tournament in Millington, Tennessee hosted by Rhodes before kicking off CCS play with a three-game set against Maryville on March 17th & 18th. Belhaven's finale with Millsaps will come on March 28th at the Majors' park and the Blazers wrap up the year on April 21st & 22nd with a three-game CCS road trip to Kentucky where they face Berea.

Head Coach Kyle Palmer on the Blazers schedule this season...

"We joined a new conference where we will playing against some of the nation's best and are playing all our home games at Trustmark Park, home of the Altlanta Braves' Double-A Affiliate  You can see why there is a buzz around our guys coming into this season. With that said, we play one of the toughest schedules in the nation that includes #2 LaGrange in conference as well non-conference games against Hendrix and Rhodes who are both receiving votes in preseason polls. In a sport that seems to give favor to routine and consistency, there is a lot of new for us happening this year and so we'll have to pull the rope together if we want to see our season end the way we envision it.  I can't wait to get these guys out on the field and continue pouring into them and seeing what these remarkable young men will accomplish both on and off the field."

To view the 2023 Belhaven Baseball schedule click here. 

Original source can be found here.