ARKADELPHIA – The Ouachita baseball team opens the 2025 season this weekend at the Mike Dugan Collegiate Baseball Invitational in Hot Springs.
The Tigers are set to face off against three in-region opponents at Majestic Park. It is the fourth straight appearance for the Tigers in the Dugan Invitational to open the season.
Game one pits the Tigers against Arkansas-Fort Smith on Friday, January 31 at 1 p.m. Game two is Saturday at 4 p.m. against Washburn. Game three is Sunday at 10 a.m. against Missouri Southern.
The invitational is named for the late Mike Dugan who was one the state's foremost sports historians and a leader in efforts to establish the Historic Baseball Trail in Hot Springs, which now draws visitors from across the country. A former sports information director at Henderson State (1980-88), Dugan was instrumental in efforts to transform the former site of the Hot Springs Boys and Girls Club into Majestic Park. Dugan passed away February 4, 2021 but his dream lives on as thousands of boys and girls have enjoyed playing baseball and softball at one of the premier facilities in the country.
Fellow GAC members Henderson State and Southern Arkansas are also participating in the fourth annual event.
Ticket prices at Majestic Park are $8 per day per person, with those ages 10 and under admitted free. Live streaming video will be available through LiveBarn.com. Fans will need to create an account and then search for Majestic Park. Live stats will also be available. Links to live coverage can be found at www.OBUtigers.com/coverage.
From Majestic Park press release:
OUACHITA BAPTIST: Ouachita finished the 2024 season 28-23 overall and 19-14 in GAC games for the program's third consecutive winning year. The Tigers will feature several new faces on the field with the offense having to replace 63 of the teams 84 home runs from 2024. Joseph Bolin is OBU's top offensive returnee after hitting .313 in 2024. The junior catcher from El Dorado, Ark. had a .493 slugging percentage with six home runs, six doubles and 30 RBI. Sophomore infielder Wesley Scott hit .283 as a freshman having a .503 slugging percentage with 11 doubles, 7 home runs and 43 RBI. The native of Dallas, Texas earned Honorable Mention All-GAC honors last season. The Tigers strongest position will be on the mound with GAC Newcomer of the Year and Preseason All-America Chase Oberle and Luke House returning. Oberle earned all-region honors from the D2 Conference Commissioners Association, the ABCA, and the NCBWA. The Justin, Texas native finished his first season with the Tigers with a 6-4 record and one save in 15 appearances. He turned in the best ERA in the conference last year at 2.23, which was sixth in all of NCAA Division II. House was 6-6 in 2024 with 65 punchouts in 71 innings of work. The senior from Decatur, Texas has a career 13-10 record having pitched 171 innings while striking out 150 batters in three years.
ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH: UAFS begins its first year as members of the MIAA after finishing 26-28 last year in the Lone Star Conference. Brayden Ross highlights the Lions pitching staff after earning Second team NCBWA South Central All-Region selection in 2024. The senior right-hander from Charleston, Ark. was the ace of the staff last season, leading the team in wins with nine, posting a 4.95 ERA, striking out 62 batters in 80 innings pitched. Noah Davis is the top returning position player earning Third team All-Lone Star Conference a year ago. The senior infielder from, Bryant, Ark. posted a .315 average. Davis had a team-best eight home runs along with nine doubles to accumulate a .488 slugging percentage. Also highlighting the Lion offense is Dakota Peters who hit .343 in 35 games played. The senior infielder from Van Buren, Ark. clubbed nine doubles, five home runs while collecting 29 RBI and having a team best .571 slugging percentage.
MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE: Ranked No. 25 in the ABCA preseason poll, Missouri Southern finished with a 44-15 record last season after going 45-17 the previous year. The Lions finished second in the MIAA and advanced to the Central Region II finals. All-American and All-MIAA infielder Will Doherty leads the MSSU offense. The junior from St. Louis, Mo. posted a team-best .384 average collecting 94 hits including 24 doubles and 11 home runs. Doherty compiled a .641 slugging percentage while driving in 75 runs. Also returning is outfielder Ethan Clark who built a .333 batting average with 19 doubles and 48 RBI. The junior from Lindenhurst, Ill. earned 2023 MIAA Freshman of the Year. The Lions will ride the arm of NCBWA and ABCA First team All-American Cole Gayman. The senior from Webb City, Mo. Was 11-2 a year ago with an astonishing 2.25 ERA. Gayman worked 100 innings and fanned 90 batters while limiting opponents to a .184 average. During the 2024 season, he was a 5-time MIAA Pitcher of the Week selection and twice earned NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week.
WASHBURN: Washburn (32-21 in 2024) is led by All-Americans Payton McHarg and Cash Jay. McHarg was selected as a Preseason First team All-American by DII Baseball after earning NCBWA All-American second team honors a year ago. The senior from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada blasted a team-high 21 home runs with 67 RBI and 66 runs scored a year ago. McHarg hit a lofty .354 with 17 doubles and 66 runs scored. Aside from earning All-American honors, McHarg was an All-MIAA First-team selection and a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. Jay collected a team-high 75 hits with 15 home runs and 60 RBI while hitting .362 with a .619 slugging percentage. The senior infielder also set a new program record with 23 doubles. A native of Chickasha, Okla. Jay's honors in 2024 include ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-American, NCBWA First Team All-Central Region, All-MIAA First Team and while also being a MIAA Scholar Athlete.
