CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team prepares to open the Jeremy Haworth Era and the 2016 season on Saturday, Feb. 6 as the Choctaws host Tougaloo College. First pitch of the of the three-game series opening doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. The two squads will face off in a single game on Sunday with a scheduled start time of 1 p.m.

The games were moved due to the rain that swept across the area over the week.
 
"It's exciting for me since it's my first year at Mississippi College. I think we are just chomping at the bit to get on a field against another color jersey. They are tired of playing themselves," said Haworth. "I'm ready to see where we are at as a team and the moving parts. There's never going to be a set lineup. We want our guys to compete every day. I've got a lot of ideas in my head, but until we hit the ground running, I can't predict the future."
 
Friday marks the 13th meeting between Mississippi College and Tougaloo College. The Choctaws are 12-0 after sweeping a series from the Bulldogs to open the 2015 campaign. The three contests are part of 23 outings this season at Frierson Field.
 
MC returns 16 players from the 2015 campaign, including a heavy, senior-laden group. Haworth is impressed by the leadership of the returning players.
 
"We've got 11 seniors on this team. Some of the guys feel the pressure of playing time. Some have an all or nothing type attitude. We've got a lot of seniors who are going to contribute to what we're going to do on the offensive side. We also have three pitchers in Tyler Olsen, Tyler Scholl and Hunter Floyd that will be instrumental in what we do. Caleb Upton and Logan Ferrell are captains. Hunter Hall has shown phenomenal ability at short stop. Garrett Odom has been coming on late. J.C. Heflin has been doing a good job. They've all be doing well, but the problem is we can only play nine. It's going to be a battle for them."
 
The Choctaws will feature several new faces this season with seven transfers and 12 freshmen making up the roster. Haworth is excited to see what the newcomers will bring to the table in his first season at the helm of the program.
 
"Will Elliott, a transfer from Alabama, isn't going to overwhelm you with star ability or anything like that, but he's always consistent in what he does. His numbers show his consistency like getting on base. He's going to be vital to what we do offensively," Haworth said. "Blaine Crim, a freshman, is one of our strongest hitters. He possesses some qualities that make him look like a junior or senior in college. He's shown the biggest light of day, not only at third base, but also on the mound. Sam Harrison is another freshman pitcher. Where he we started off in the fall, I'd probably say he's going to throw limited innings for us, but he's worked and turned into a guy who's going to throw some for us on the weekends. He's got as a good stuff that I've seen in a long time. He competes well and grew up really, really fast."
 
Mississippi College will compete in its second season in the Gulf South Conference, which begins on Saturday, Feb. 20 as the Choctaws welcome the University of West Florida to Frierson Field and hosts defending conference champion, the University of West Alabama the following weekend.
 
"The Gulf South Conference is one of the toughest leagues in the country. If it's not the toughest, it's in the top two. We've got to prepare ourselves for that," said Haworth, who played for former conference member, Ouachita Baptist, where he was the GSC Player of the Year in 2007. "The league is different from when I played in it. It was in divisions with more teams, but most of the same teams I played against are still in the league and every one of those teams isn't easy. It's going to be a battle every game. If you win the first two games, don't think you're going to just walk in and get the sweep. It's a tough conference, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I want competition. To be the best, you've got to beat the best. If you want recognition, then you've got to go out there and show it. You can't walk around with your chest poked out and get wins. You've got to go out and show it. We're trying to change the culture and get the guys to understand they've got to earn everything they get."
 
Following the weekend series, Mississippi College returns to the diamond on Friday, Feb. 12 as it travels to Hoover, Ala., to face North Greenville University. The three-game, neutral site series will be held at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, home of the Southeastern Conference Championship.