Bryan College Triangle

Hasty’s team looks promising, starts season Thursday against Toccoa Falls College

"The guys have worked purposely," said Coach Hast, describing his teams preparations for Thursday / Triangle phot by Josiah Newport

Brittany Gurley
Triangle Reporter

This season’s baseball team may prove to be promising with seven returning starters and some of the best talent in years.

Expectations are high as the team prepares to kick off its season against Toccoa Falls (Ga.) College on Thursday, at 4 p.m. The general consensus of all those involved can be summed up in one word: excitement.

“I’m excited,” said Head Coach Taylor Hasty. “Not only have the guys worked hard, they’ve worked purposely.”

The players have not only improved individually, the team as a whole has progressed.

“I feel like this is the most talented team that we’ve had in years,” said senior middle infielder Steven Brown.

Hasty added, “On paper, we should be ahead of where we were last season.” Read full story »

by Sebastian Fischer
Staff Writer

Senior third-baseman J.D. Davis steps up to bat at the game against Asbury University this past Friday / Triangle photo by Catherine Rogers

The Bryan College baseball team expanded its winning record last weekend while hosting the Tennessee Valley Invitational. The Lions won their games against Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, Ind.), Madonna University (Livonia, Mich.) and Berea College (Kent.). Their only loss was in a close game against Asbury College (Wilmore, Kent.).

“I was happy with the results [even though] I feel like we could have played better throughout the weekend. It’s important that we play well consistently, and I don’t think we’re quite there yet. But that’s good because we’re going through a process of trying to build and get better so that we’re playing our best baseball at the end of the season,” said Coach Taylor Hasty.

Bryan dominated the first game of the tournament Thursday night against the Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan University, winning with a final score of 6-2. After giving up two runs in the first inning, freshman Tyler Latham led the Lions to a clear win going 2-for-4 from the plate and recording two solo home runs.

In what appeared to be a close, high-scoring game, the Lions came up short against the Asbury Eagles in Friday nights match up. After seven highly competitive innings, the scoreboard recorded a final result of 13-11 for Asbury. According to Hasty, the Lions struggled defensively and on the mound. Read full story »

by Billy Findley
Sports Editor

The Lions baseball team thoroughly dismantled the Crusaders of Tennessee Temple (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 16-6 Tuesday evening. With this victory, the Lions now have a record of 16 wins and 23 losses for their overall record. They are 7-8 in the AAC.

At bat, the Lions were a force Tuesday night. The team finished the game with 22 hits and two home runs with 16 runs total. This is the second highest total of runs they’ve scored in a game this season.

“We really manufactured runs tonight,” Head Coach Taylor Hasty said after the game. “I think our team is really dangerous because we can really hit.”

The game was close for the first three innings with Tennessee Temple ahead just 2 – 1. However, the Lions were able to make a break away in the bottom of the third with junior outfielder Josh King pounding a home run with two men on base. The Lions continued the surge and were leading 10 – 3 by the end of the fifth inning. Defensively, the team stood their ground, turning a “huge” double play at the top of the sixth, according to Hasty.

One strength Hasty said he has observed with the team this year is their concern for each other on the field.

“This team really loves each other,” Hasty said. “They are passionate about seeing one another succeed.”

“We’re just like brothers out there,” sophomore outfielder Shane Clawson said.

Clawson said he, like Hasty, has observed the team chemistry and commented that it is important as players to know “we’ve got each other’s back.”

With only 15 games left in the season, the Lions are currently ranked fifth in the AAC. However, as nice as it may be to land a good seat in the playoffs, placing well in the tournament is still not a primary goal just yet, according to Clawson. King said the team likes to take things just one at a time.

The strengths of the team have undoubtedly come through in their hitting, according to King. He said he thinks the batting coaches deserve a lot of credit this season for helping the hitters to shine at the plate.

Overall, the baseball team has played exceptionally better this year than last, according to Hasty. Hasty said he attributes the better playing, not to mention much better record, simply to better playing all around in the game and he expects to see good results throughout the rest of the season.

By Tim Baldi
Staff Writer

Last week, the Bryan Lions Baseball Team lost their undefeated AAC conference standing after coming off one win and five losses to Reinhardt College and Tennessee Wesleyan College. The Lions now have a 4-5 record in the AAC and are 12-15 overall. Read full story »

by Catherine Rogers
Staff Writer

The Bryan Lion’s baseball team tackled a tough three-game series this past weekend against the RedStorm of the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) and came out with two loses and one determined win.

Head Coach Taylor Hasty said that the RedStorm is a “very well-coached team from top to bottom” with “five really good seniors in their lineup who can all hit.”

This showed Friday night as Rio Grande took the lead in the first inning and caused a devastating loss of 15-3 for the Lions.

“Friday, we failed to throw strikes, and we really didn’t finish off hitters,” commented Hasty. “We had eight total walks, seven of which scored and we kind of lost momentum as a result of that.”

Junior pitcher Bronson Holland said, “I believe we’re better than the team we played. We just made costly mistakes.”

Saturday proved to be better for the Lions with the first game a close loss and the second a solid win. Read full story »