Friday, February 16
JACKSONVILLE
3:00 PM
Jacksonville State University
vs
Memphis
Gamecock Baseball Opens 2024 Season Against Memphis
2/15/2024 3:10:00 PM | Baseball
JACKSONVILLE - Jacksonville State ushers in the 2024 season and the Steve Bieser era with a three-game weekend series with Memphis on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
First pitch for Friday's Opening Day contest is set for 3 p.m. The series continues on Saturday with a 2 p.m. start time. Sunday's series finale is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Tickets for the three games with the Tigers are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
For the first time since 2001, Jax State is under the direction of a new coach after Jim Case retired after 22 seasons in charge of the program. Bieser comes to the Gamecocks after seven seasons as the head coach at Missouri, which followed a four-year stint as the head coach at his alma mater of Southeast Missouri State that saw him win three-straight Ohio Valley Conference titles with the Redhawks. In 11 seasons as a Division I head coach he has posted a 326-252-1 record.
The season-opening series between Memphis and Jax State will be the first meetings between the two programs. It's former CUSA member versus current CUSA program to open the 2024 baseball season. Memphis was a member of the league from 1995-2013 before moving to the American Athletic Conference in 2013. Both programs are led by first year coaches as Steve Bieser enters his first season in charge of the Gamecocks. Matt Riser Became the Tigers' head coach after time spent at Southeastern Louisiana. A familiar face to the Gamecocks' program will be in the Tigers' dugout as former volunteer assistant coach over the last two seasons on former head coach Jim Case's staff, Kyle Cameron joined UofM in a player development role with the program. Cameron, a former Alabama pitcher, worked extensively with Jax State's pitching staff while in Jacksonville.
Jax State has claimed its season-opening weekend series in six-of-the-last 10 seasons. The Gamecocks knocked off Southeastern Conference foe Georgia on Opening Day last season.
Senior Derrick Jackson, Jr. highlights the Gamecocks' lineup after a stellar junior campaign. He was named Preseason All-CUSA by a vote of the coaches in the league. The infielder from Huntsville, Alabama enters the season after a solid junior season. Jackson finished 2023 with a .340 batting average in 38 games played. He battled back from an opening weekend hand injury at Georgia to post a team-best 16 doubles and added 11 home runs.
A majority of Jax State's offensive numbers return for the 2024 season, bolstered by sophomore catcher Bear Madliak. Madliak's first season as a Gamecock ended with multiple postseason honors as a member of the 2023 ASUn All-Freshman Team and was named as a Freshman all-American by Collegiate Baseball. The catcher from Carrollton, Georgia posted a .330 clip at the plate, including 20 extra base hits in 2023.
The left side of the Gamecocks' infield returns with junior Brennen Norton at third base, while sophomore Caleb Johnson and junior Michael Dallas platooned at the shortstop position. Sophomore Will Fincher will play a key role in the Jax State outfield.
Jax State's opening weekend rotation features a pair of new faces in the program and the Opening Day starter, junior Austin Cornelius, was solid out of the bullpen for the Gamecocks a season ago. In 2023, the Hoover, Alabama right hander ranked second on the club in appearances with 23 as Friday will be his first career start. Cornelius tossed 32.0 innings in relief to notch a pair of saves. Junior Russell Derbyshire will get the start for Saturday's contest. Derbyshire joined the program from Louisiana-Monroe. In his only season at ULM in 2023, Derbyshire made 17 appearances from the bullpen. Sophomore Jackson Sleeper, penciled in as the Sunday starter, brings experience as a starter after collecting 57.0 innings last season at Christian Brothers University.
Jax State returns three guys out of last season's bullpen, led by senior Will Baker, who made a team-high 28 appearances last season. Sophomore Josh Sibley and senior Kyle Chastine are two other pieces of the bullpen with experience.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their, Instagram (@JaxStateBB), and X (@JaxStateBB) accounts.
First pitch for Friday's Opening Day contest is set for 3 p.m. The series continues on Saturday with a 2 p.m. start time. Sunday's series finale is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Tickets for the three games with the Tigers are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
For the first time since 2001, Jax State is under the direction of a new coach after Jim Case retired after 22 seasons in charge of the program. Bieser comes to the Gamecocks after seven seasons as the head coach at Missouri, which followed a four-year stint as the head coach at his alma mater of Southeast Missouri State that saw him win three-straight Ohio Valley Conference titles with the Redhawks. In 11 seasons as a Division I head coach he has posted a 326-252-1 record.
The season-opening series between Memphis and Jax State will be the first meetings between the two programs. It's former CUSA member versus current CUSA program to open the 2024 baseball season. Memphis was a member of the league from 1995-2013 before moving to the American Athletic Conference in 2013. Both programs are led by first year coaches as Steve Bieser enters his first season in charge of the Gamecocks. Matt Riser Became the Tigers' head coach after time spent at Southeastern Louisiana. A familiar face to the Gamecocks' program will be in the Tigers' dugout as former volunteer assistant coach over the last two seasons on former head coach Jim Case's staff, Kyle Cameron joined UofM in a player development role with the program. Cameron, a former Alabama pitcher, worked extensively with Jax State's pitching staff while in Jacksonville.
Jax State has claimed its season-opening weekend series in six-of-the-last 10 seasons. The Gamecocks knocked off Southeastern Conference foe Georgia on Opening Day last season.
Senior Derrick Jackson, Jr. highlights the Gamecocks' lineup after a stellar junior campaign. He was named Preseason All-CUSA by a vote of the coaches in the league. The infielder from Huntsville, Alabama enters the season after a solid junior season. Jackson finished 2023 with a .340 batting average in 38 games played. He battled back from an opening weekend hand injury at Georgia to post a team-best 16 doubles and added 11 home runs.
A majority of Jax State's offensive numbers return for the 2024 season, bolstered by sophomore catcher Bear Madliak. Madliak's first season as a Gamecock ended with multiple postseason honors as a member of the 2023 ASUn All-Freshman Team and was named as a Freshman all-American by Collegiate Baseball. The catcher from Carrollton, Georgia posted a .330 clip at the plate, including 20 extra base hits in 2023.
The left side of the Gamecocks' infield returns with junior Brennen Norton at third base, while sophomore Caleb Johnson and junior Michael Dallas platooned at the shortstop position. Sophomore Will Fincher will play a key role in the Jax State outfield.
Jax State's opening weekend rotation features a pair of new faces in the program and the Opening Day starter, junior Austin Cornelius, was solid out of the bullpen for the Gamecocks a season ago. In 2023, the Hoover, Alabama right hander ranked second on the club in appearances with 23 as Friday will be his first career start. Cornelius tossed 32.0 innings in relief to notch a pair of saves. Junior Russell Derbyshire will get the start for Saturday's contest. Derbyshire joined the program from Louisiana-Monroe. In his only season at ULM in 2023, Derbyshire made 17 appearances from the bullpen. Sophomore Jackson Sleeper, penciled in as the Sunday starter, brings experience as a starter after collecting 57.0 innings last season at Christian Brothers University.
Jax State returns three guys out of last season's bullpen, led by senior Will Baker, who made a team-high 28 appearances last season. Sophomore Josh Sibley and senior Kyle Chastine are two other pieces of the bullpen with experience.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their, Instagram (@JaxStateBB), and X (@JaxStateBB) accounts.
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