After beginning the 2020 season at the top of their game, the baseball program is “anxious to get out there, compete, play and put that uniform on against someone else” once again.
On Dec. 21, 2020, The Collegiate Baseball newspaper preseason poll ranked Winthrop baseball 40th among the top 50 NCAA Division I teams. Known as the oldest college baseball poll dating back more than sixty years, the ranking is not surprising to Head Coach Tom Riginos.
“We want to be in the rankings at the end of the season, that’s when it really matters, but I think it just lets our guys know the hard work they put in last year going into this year acknowledges that we have a chance to be a very good team this year,” Riginos said.
Last year the team’s unexpected final game was a loss at Clemson on March 11, but the Eagles still finished the short season with an excellent record of 11-4.
Although Riginos said he believes the poll is “not a big deal” in the long run, he appreciates that the national story is beneficial for recruiting new players.
“We’ve added a couple pieces to the puzzle after last year. A couple transfers and a couple key freshmen, so on paper we feel really good where we are right now,” Riginos said.
Aside from gaining new players, six athletes are returning to the field for a fifth year after the NCAA granted 2020 seniors the chance to play one more collegiate season on scholarship.
With academics being a top priority as well, the program finished out the fall semester with an overall GPA of 3.34, which Coach Riginos is “more proud about than anything.”
“Our academic coordinator and her staff had done a great job helping us navigate through these last two semesters. [The players have] done a really good job staying on top of their work and staying locked in on what they have to do,” Riginos said.
Seniors Cody Whitten and Dillon Morton, along with freshmen Carson Beavers and Parker Whittle, all earned a 4.0 GPA in the fall semester.
“Our number one goal is to graduate. More than championships and preseason rankings, that means more to me than anything,” Riginos said.
Riginos has been working diligently over the holiday break to ensure that 2021 games are scheduled, although none of the plans are set in stone. That being said, the Eagles are set to hit the field for the first time this year on Feb. 19, but the opponent is still unofficial as it has already switched a couple of times.
“We are really excited and hopeful that we are able to keep [the University of] South Carolina on the schedule and they’re coming to Rock Hill. In the eleven years I’ve been here that’s never happened,” Riginos said.
Whether or not fans will be allowed in the stadium remains undetermined, but Coach Riginos is hopeful since the stadium is large and outdoors.
“Just to play any game is going to be exciting. We’re just excited to get out there and practice because it’s been a tough year on everybody,” Riginos said.
Photo courtesy of Winthrop Athletics
