GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman's baseball team opens its 2020 season on Friday when it plays host to La Salle in a 4:00 p.m. contest at Latham Stadium on campus.

Friday's game commences a three-game series against the Explorers that will include 1:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday contests.

The 2020 campaign marks the 119th season for Furman baseball — the university's second oldest sport that dates from 1891 and the first sport to compete on the current campus (1956) and qualify for NCAA Tournament play (1965).

All three contests this weekend will be video live streamed through the SoCon Digital Network.  In addition, the series will be broadcast over 1440 AM and campus station WPLS 95.9 FM, and streamed via TuneIn.com with Dan Scott, the "Voice of the Paladins", on the call. StatBroadcast live stats are provided for all Paladin home games.  Links for video, audio, and live stats are available thru FurmanPaladins.com.

Single game tickets are $5, and fans can still purchase season tickets for $50 thru FurmanPaladins.com for the Paladins' 35 scheduled home games, including all contests at Latham Stadium on campus and Furman's clashes with South Carolina (Mar. 3) and Clemson (Apr. 14) at Fluor Field in downtown Greenville. 

Under the direction of head coach Brett Harker, who is entering his fourth season at the helm of the Paladin program, Furman returns 22 lettermen off last year's squad that posted a 26-31 record and finished fifth in the Southern Conference with a 13-11 league slate.

Furman's opening day starting pitcher is expected to be redshirt junior left-hander John Michael Bertrand (4-6, 4.90 ERA), and set to follow on Saturday and Sunday are a pair of right-handers — freshman Stone Simmons and sophomore Mason Kenney (2-1, 4.80 ERA).

Furman's starting infield should include senior Dax Roper (.278, 9 HR, 33 RBI) at first base, sophomore Banks Griffith (.228, 2 HR, 24 RBI) at second, junior college transfer Joey Tepper at shortstop, and senior Jake Crawford at third base.

Roper is taking over duties at first base after working almost exclusively at catcher a year ago, where he landed second team All-SoCon honors.  Tepper, who joined the Paladin program following two seasons at nearby Spartanburg Methodist College, is taking over for graduated three-year starter Bret Huebner.  Crawford returns to the field after missing the 2019 season following Tommy John surgery.  Prior to injury, the Honea Path, S.C., product posted 163 starts — almost all at third base — and hit .298 with eight home runs and 87 RBI over his first three seasons.

Set to take over catching duties is senior Logan Taplett (.269 6 HR, 39 RBI), who delivered solid play as the Paladins' third baseman in 2019 in Crawford's absence.

Furman's starting outfield against La Salle should likely consist of junior Jared Mihalik (.232, 4 HR, 14 RBI) in left field, sophomore Jordan Starkes (.225, 0 HR, 13 RBI) in center field, and freshman Eli Weisner in right field.

Trent Alley (.310, 3 HR, 27 RBI), a senior, is expected to once again handle designated hitter duties.  In 2019 the Charlotte, N.C., native made 38 starts at DH and swatted .343 over his final 27 games.

La Salle is slated to throw pair of left-handers against the Paladins, with junior southpaw Colin Scanlon (4-4, 5.23 ERA) expected to toe the rubber in Friday's season opener, followed by freshman Gabe Rappa on Saturday and sophomore right-hander Manny Corporan in Sunday's finale.
The Explorers play in the Atlantic 10 and are coming off a 25-31 campaign a year ago.

Friday's contest will mark the first baseball meeting between the two schools.