SEASON PREVIEW: Baseball

• The Lions are coming off a 27-15 season with a 12-6 record in conference action. 
• Piedmont picked up one win in the CCS tournament before falling in back-to-back losses to Belhaven and Maryville. 
• The Lions lineup sported impact bats and will have returning production in Carter Few and CCS Rookie of the Year Ben Connelly.
• The pitching rotation for the Lions saw large departures in the rotation and look to their youth to build in the area for the season.
• Piedmont was selected to finish fourth in the Preseason CCS Coach's poll.

• SEASON OPENER & HOME OPENER
  • Friday, February 13 vs. Rhodes (2:00 p.m.)
• CCS OPENER
  • Friday, March 26 vs. Belhaven (6:00 p.m.)
• SENIOR DAY
  • Saturday, April 25 vs. Huntingdon (1:00 p.m.)
• POSTSEASON LOOK AHEAD
  • CCS Tournament - April 29 - May 2 (Hosted by highest seeded team)

27 - Returners

16 - Newcomers 

3 - Second team all-conference returners

3 - Of top hitters by OPS returning

Justin Scali enters his tenth season as Head Baseball Coach after having spent the previous 12 seasons on staff as an Assistant Baseball Coach with the Lions. In 2025, he helped Ben Connelly to a CCS Rookie of the Year award along with guiding Zeke Swartz to a CCS Pitcher of the Year award. 

 Coaching Highlights at Piedmont (2017-Present)   

- 1 CCS Tournament Championship (2023)

- 1 USA South Regular Season Championship (2019)

- 1 USA South Coach of the Year (2019)

- 1 D3baseball.com All-South Region Player of the Year (Brady Ballstadt - 2018)

- 1 D3baseball.com All-South Region Pitcher of the Year (Zeke Swartz - 2025) 
- 2 USA South Players of the Year (Brady Ballstadt - 2018, 2019)
- 1 CCS Pitcher of the Year (Zeke Swartz - 2025)
- 1 CCS Rookie of the Year (Ben Connelly - 2025)
- 3 ABCA/Rawlings All-Americans (Carter Ballstadt - 2022); (Sam Carpenter - 2021); (Brady Ballstadt - 2018)
- 2 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Winners (Carter Ballstadt - 2022); (Trace Cate - 2024)

- 5 D3baseball.com All-Americans (Carter Ballstadt, Sam Carpenter - 2021); (Brady Ballstadt - 2018, 2019); (Zeke Swartz - 2025)

- 4 CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-America Selections (Carter Ballstadt - 2022, 2023); (Brady Ballstadt - 2019); Justin Groover - 2018)
- 8 ABCA Team Academic Excellence Awards

- 11 D3baseball.com All-Region Selections
- 16 CCS All-Conference Honorees
- 20 CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-District Selections
- 18 ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Selections
- 20 USA South All-Conference Honorees

- 29 wins over top-25 opponents

- Highest national ranking - #10, 2019 (ABCA)

Trey Pearce was promoted to associate head baseball coach in the fall of 2024 following his first season with the Lions. He joined Piedmont in the fall of 2023 after spending a year as a volunteer assistant at LaGrange College in 2022 and serving as an assistant coach at LaGrange High School in 2023. This will be his third season on staff with the Lions.