Cochran, GA - Our summer interview series returns as we ask our Knights head coaches to take a moment and reflect on the past season as well as look at the upcoming season and give us their thoughts. If you are new to the series, we ask our coaches a few questions about the past season and the upcoming season and to share some of their thoughts. Our next coach is Paul Knight, our Baseball coach.

• How do you feel your previous season went?

In 2022, we continued our streak of 6 consecutive appearances in the NAIA Opening Round traveling to Miami Gardens, Florida. This is an outstanding accomplishment for our program and is one of the goals we set for our team each year. We suffered 4 key injuries during the year and had to fight to overcome those losses. However, finishing the season with an overall record of 30-21 was a bit of a disappointment for this team and fell short of the expectations we have for our baseball program. We discuss and expect our teams to compete with the most talented programs in the NAIA and have success at the National Level.

• Who were your key departures from last year's team and who are some key arrivals for the upcoming season?

We are losing some key aspects from this past years team including pitchers Garrett Martin, Jackson Braden, Logan Howell, and Rudy Amaya. In addition, short stop Justin Brooks and infielder Blake Metcalfe have completed their eligibility. The new arrivals are challenging to predict. However, we expect significant contributions from our entire recruiting class, which I believe to be very talented.

• What are your expectations for the upcoming season?

My expectations for the season remain as they are every year. We should be in a position to compete for the SSAC championship and a bid to the NAIA Opening Round. Each season we talk about putting ourselves in a position to compete for a National Championship. Will 2023 be the year for us to win the Opening Round and go to the NAIA World Series? Stay tuned, we'll see what this team is made of.