STUDENTLIFE I INTERNATIONAL I SOCIALCLUBS I ACADEMICS I PEOPLE I LEADERSHIP I ATHLETICS I ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE HORN The Bisons showed resolve down the stretch to bring late-season success. A fter startingthe 2018 season 7-15, the Harding baseball ream could have thrown in the towel and given up on the season.Rather than giving up, the ream rallied around each other and won 22 oftheir final 28 games ofthe season. Many factors played a role in the start of the season. In more than half of the losses, the ream either gave up eight or more run or scored three run or less. To go along with this, the team played an out of conference schedule where the odds were against them. During the start to the season, Dr. Patrick McGaha, head baseball coach wanted to make sure the team stayed together. "Whatever happened we were going to make sure we tried to pull together as family and staypostive and keep working," McGaha said."We had such great leadership. Wehad a couple of really ugly games but had great seniorleadership. Our last 15 games, you could put us up against anyone in the country." The team reached their lowest point with a 15-0 loss to Delta State University.McGaha knew the team was beaten down but was confident that his team would turn things around. After the loss to Delta State,the team rallied and went 22-6 to finish the year. The end of the season included a 7-game and 6-game win streak. Senioroutfielder Ben Brauss attributed the finish to the team's work ethic. It was great because that winning streak startedafter our lowest of lows, Brauss said."We knew it was going to be a long shot for us to get in the conference tournament. Winningthose games gave us mojo. We didn't really change anything that we were doing; we just kept on grinding and working hard in practice. Weknew it would show up, and it started to turn for us." Harding's 2018 baseball team had 10 seniors,all of which contributed to the team's late success. Oneof the seniorswas alumnus and infielder Will Francis. Although not a daily starter, Francis showed leadership whenever he was needed. "The last several weeks of the year we had a lot of fun," Francis said."Coach told us after our seriesat [Ouachita Baptist University]that if we won every series from here on out, we could stillmake the conference tournament. I think that goal really kept us motivated and persistent through the back half of the season." The late-season success, however was not enough for the team to reach the conference tournament. The team finished the year seventh in the Great American Conference with a 29-21 record and missed the tournament by a small margin. Although the team was upset that they had missed the playoffs, McGaha was proud of them for not giving up. "The biggest thing that I think allowed us to be successful was the team was full of guys with really high character" McGahasaid. There was no pouting and no feeling sorryfor themselves. They were Bisons." story by Jacob Broyles Seniorcatcher Eric Hansen hits the ball on Feb. 9, 2018, atJerryMoore Baseball Complex. The team was 11-6 against non-conference teams in the 2018 season. I photo by Sterling McMichael JUniorcatcher Miles Humphreys goesfor the tag out at home plate against Williams Baptist University on Feb. 13, 2018, at ferry Moore Baseball Complex. Harding swept the Eagles in a doubleheader outscoring them 3-6 in both games. I photo by Sterling McMichael Junior pitcher Logan McCall makes a pitch on Feb. 13, 2018, at ferry Moore Baseball Complex. The men's baseball team received the Great American Conference baseball sportsmanship award in 2018, making it theirfifth time to receive this award in the past six years. I photo by Sterling McMichael 220
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