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2026 Team Previews |
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Chattanooga State Cleveland State Columbia State Dyersburg State Jackson State |
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Motlow State Pellisippi State Roane State Southwest TN Volunteer State Walters State |
| Chattanooga State CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
1 Ben Fisher - RHP - Very Competitive young man
2 Jake Johnson - RHP - Another solid competitor with
plus stuff
3 Taylor Head - SS - Has become a really nice player
4 Logan Wallace - 1B - Quality young man and player
5 Ty Newton - 3B/RHP - Electric player and pitcher
6 Ben Morgan - 2B - Heady young man
7 Zach Hamlin - LHP - May be a strong factor by the
end.
2026 TEAM OUTLOOK We have a lot of questions going
into this spring and are really working hard to try
and put the pieces together to put together a solid
spring season. Our offense has the ability to be a
solid one if not spectacular at times but needs
consistency. On the mound we have some really good
arms that just need to continue working to put it
together.
Offense: We have lots of new faces along with some
older ones and hopefully the blend will come
together and make up a solid grouping at the plate.
Defense: Taylor Head and Ben Morgan make up a
really good MIF and Ty Newton is a solid 3B
candidate. Our OF is still getting pieced together
and that is going to be a huge determinant of our
success chances.
Pitching: Fisher and Jake Johnson are two really
competitive starters. Hopefully some of the new
guys ( Benny Miller, Cooper Hart, Ty Newton, Taylor
Hughes and Zach Poore ) can check in and be good
while Will Horn, Colin Ames and Miles Johnson return
with a better feel for what they are doing.
Overall outlook: We are most definitely a work in
progress and trying to piece stuff together to make
it competitive. We have annually done a good job of
making the sum of the individuals into a greater
whole and hopefully we can do this again this
spring.
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| Cleveland State CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
1 Max Owens-SO-RHP-Georgia Southern
2 Parker Coe-SO-RHP
3 Braden Suggs-RHP-SO
4 Nolan Sergeant-2B/OF-SO
5 Jon Jon Read-SS-SO
6 Evan Leonard-C/RHP-FR
7 Samuel Formby-OF-FR
2026 TEAM OUTLOOK
Offense: Should be able to put up runs and stay
competitive. As this young group gains some experience
good things are to come.
Defense: Still trying to figure some things out but
should be really good up the middle behind the plate,
infield, and centerfield.
Pitching: Have a good mix of experience and youth.
Should be a bright spot of our club.
Overall outlook: We should have a really competitive
club. Should be decent on the mound and defensively.
Have to find a way to stay consistent offensively and
apply pressure to create some runs.
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| Columbia State CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
1 rFR Braden Gover LHP (Austin Peay) - Ace once he is fully
healthy
2 rFR Tate Riggs RHP (Trevecca) - Righty with ability to mix
well
3 SO Pablo Sainz RHP - A year of growth should allow him to
help on the weekends, 88-91
4 rSO Holden Warmath (TN Wesleyan) - Maturing as a player,
expect to have a good year
5 FR Julian Richards OF - LHH with speed and bat control
6 rSO Isaac Schafer OF/RHP - Has come on as a smart ball
player in all parts of his game
7 SO Anthony Serrano RHP (Western Kentucky) - major
returning bullpen piece
8 FR Jordan Akins OF - Lefty Stick that will provide
gap-to-gap power with some plate discipline
9 rSO John Carter 1B - Potential Power bat
2026 TEAM OUTLOOK
Offense: We have a chance to score runs in a few different
ways. Our success will depend on our ability to compete with
two strikes and make the most of our scoring chances
throughout the game. Along with those already listed, rSO
Grant Armour OF, rSO Cole Johnson INF, SO Owen Hutcheson
OF/1B, FR Sam Smith INF, and FR Brayden Whitlow UTL, must be
guys to help our offense.
Defense: Looks to be a decent group of defenders. SO Russ
Lambert and rFR Jax Nichols will look to anchor the catching
unit. SO Cary Allen Burke INF, brings a reliable glove that
will be an asset to our team, and we're looking for his
offense to continue developing to match his defensive
prowess. As always, making the routine plays and the correct
decisions with the ball, is the goal each day.
Pitching: Should be the strongest phase we have. Along with
those PTW above, we expect contributions from rFR Parker
Day, SO JC Myers, rFR Logan Johnson, FR Noah Taylor, FR
Steele Moseley, FR Harrison Cassle, FR Brayden Whitlow.
Limiting free bases and consistently throwing strikes will
be essential, and as a group we demonstrated that ability
this fall.
Overall outlook: Our playing roster will be very slim in
comparison to past seasons, but we do like the team
chemistry. Combining the team camaraderie, doing the little
things, and playing Charger baseball, we should have a
chance to be OK. Early on, our schedule should help us grow
and improve later on in the season.
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| Dyersburg State CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
1 LHP Kayden Hartunian - 88-90 with 2 good breaking balls.
Will anchor the staff
2 OF/1B Conner Vaughn. Hit .400 with 4 HR this fall. Has D1
offers and interest.
3 INF/RHP Bennett Stutts. Will start at SS and help us in
back end of bullpen after only pitching last year. Top of
the order guy for us
4 INF Duke Samples. Our best all around player. Will play
all 4 INF spots. Hurt to start the year, will be back by
conference play.
5 OF Brady Byars. Tremendous fall after redshirting in 25.
Will hit in middle of our lineup and play both CF and RF.
Big time arm in the OF.
6 OF Holden Strain. Semester transfer from St. Charles. Will
be a top of the order guy and play a lot of CF. Plus athlete
with some experience.
7 RHP Cy Maness. Freshman who will be a huge part of our
weekend rotation. Has big time stuff and is only scratching
the surface. 90-93 with the FB.
2026 TEAM OUTLOOK
Offense: The lineup will be a strength for us this year. It
is a mix of a returners (some who played in 2025, some who
redshirted), transfers and a handful of freshmen. The
outfield group is 3 guys who we feel really good about.
Along with Strain and Byars, FIU transfer Logan Shapiro will
also hold down another OF spot. All 3 guys have all the
tools and are in positions for big years. The infield will
be anchored by Stutts in the middle at SS, with Walters
State transfer Jordan Williamson at 3B. Jordan possesses
enormous raw power and an advanced feel for the strike zone
at the plate. At 1B, it will be freshman Cannan Clapp with
another freshman Darrion Richards. Richards and sophomore
Sam Belt will see time at SS when Stutts is on the mound.
Richards is a plus athlete who can really run. 1B will be
both Conner Vaughn and freshman Wyatt Diffee, who had a
tremendous winter and preseason practice and has enormous
potential and perhaps the most power on our team. When Duke
Samples returns to the lineup, he will factor in at both 2B
and 1B. The catching position will be lead by freshman
Brayden Turner, who won the job in the fall. He is an
aggressive hitter who is a tough out. Very little fazes him.
He will be backed up by fellow freshman Jaden Walton and
sophomore Dylan Phillips when he returns from injury. Also
factoring in will be Guillermo Cruz. Cruz is a LHH who will
see time on the mound, as well as some corner INF. We feel
good about the depth of our lineup and the ability to do
different things. We will run a lot and use the small game
as well. Looking forward to some breakout years from a lot
of guys this spring.
Defense: The defensive strength of our team will be our OF.
All 3 guys can run and have above average to plus arms.
Williamson is a very good defender at 3B. He is very
fundamentally sound and the ball consistently goes into his
glove and then the 1B glove. Stutts has the tools to be a
high level defender and progressed tremendously throughout
the fall. Clapp and Richards give us good defensive options
at 2B. Richards will also see some time in the OF this
spring as well. We feel good about both Diffee and Vaughn at
1B, even with Vaughn being new to the position. Diffee has
already gotten into much better shape and it will help him
on defense. Behind the plate, Brayden Turner is a good
athlete and very good thrower of the baseball. He is quick
and accurate with his throws (1.9-2.1 consistently) and
tough as nails. Walton is a plus athlete and thrower in his
own right, while Phillips is probably the best overall
defender of the group.
Pitching: On the mound we will be lead by lefty Kayden
Hartunian and freshman righty Cy Maness. They both have next
level stuff and have earned their spots at the top of our
rotation. They are both division 1 arms. Behind them is a
group of unproven guys with big potential. Lefty Kaleb Fyke
didn't pitch in 2025 due to Tommy John surgery, but is back
and ready and will play a big role. Mid to upper 80s with
the fastball, Fyke is a bulldog on the mound and a big time
competitor. Another freshman who stood out all fall and made
another nice jump this winter is Sam Barnes. Barnes is a low
slot righty who wants the ball every game and is not fazed
by anything. He is also an elite defender off the mound.
Guillermo Cruz returns after a big role last year and will
have another similar role this year. 5 pitch mix and just
knows how to pitch. Joe Thomas and Kelson Radford will also
shoulder a good amount of innings. Thomas returns after an
injury cut his 2025 short last year. He will both start and
relieve for us this year. Radford is a transfer lefty from
D2 Evangel in Missouri. He is a pitchability lefty with a
ton of feel for 3 pitches. He will pitch in multiple roles
as well. Another transfer that we are really excited about
is John Riordan. After battling some injuries at Indian
River State College in Florida, he is back healthy and ready
to compete and help us out in a big way. He is low 90s with
the heater and has a plus changeup and a big sweeping
breaking ball. Bennett Stutts will also help on the mound,
more than likely at the back end. He is a strike thrower
with a really good breaking ball.
Overall outlook: This is a team that has come a long way
since the beginning of the fall. We battled injuries while
trying to figure each other out and it took some time. This
is a great group of kids who are really coachable and want
to get better. We will be carried by our offense, but have a
chance to take a big step forward with the development of
some more arms. I expect to compete in every conference
series and give ourselves a chance in every game we play all
year. We have a tough schedule, with a lot of travel against
really good teams. It will test us early and see what we are
made of, but will ultimately make us better. Really looking
forward to watching our guys compete.
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| Jackson State CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
1James Fenton-SO- CF- returning starting CF as freshman.
2Jason Dunn JR- SO- INF- transfer infielder that led the
team in hitting this fall.
3Gehrig Syms- SO-INF- transfer infielder that had a great
fall in the middle infield.
4Gage Nesbitt- FR-INF- corner infielder that will also see
some time on the mound.
5Conner Jones-FR- RHP- Has been most consistent guy the
fall.
6 Baler Melton- SO- INF- led team in hitting last year as a
freshman.
Overall outlook: The Greenjays only return 2 starters from
last year team and will look to a talented group of
sophomores and freshmen to fill big roles this spring. The
outfield will be led by James Fenton, a returning sophomore
that played CF everyday as freshman. This group has shown
the ability to be a difference maker defensively for this
team, and a solid group of bats that will cause havoc on the
bases for other teams. The Jays will be looking at new group
of guys on the infield this spring. Baler Melton is a
returner that led the team in hitting last year and will
help lead a group of infielders that will be asked to grow
together quickly this spring. The jays will be looking at a
new group of guys at catcher this spring this group has
shown the ability to lead a pitching staff this fall and
will be instrumental in the success of a new pitching staff.
The Jays will be looking to a new group of pitchers this
spring and have a deep group of guys to choose from this
spring. The jays will look to lean on the group as whole
early in the season and look forward to watching these guys
develop into major roles as the season continues. The jays
will be a team on the mound that will look for guys that can
fill up the zone and rely on a defensive group that has the
ability to defend the field. Offensively the jays showed
spurts in the fall of being able to score runs, but will
look to be more consistent as the spring begins. The jays
look forward to competing the talented TCCAA.
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| Motlow State CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
1 Nick Causey - top returning hitter, corner IF
2 Hudson Cepparulo - Big LHH transfer, corner IF
3 Andrew Fulmer - very talented MI
4 Ajay Jones - transfer OF plus speed
5 Charlie Kapp - Transfer IF. Solid in every aspect
6 Maddox Meeks - Util guy that can start at all 9 positions on
the field
7 Mykell Murrah - OF with lots of tools
8 Jaxon Sheffield - RHP/OF threw some quality innings for us
last year and good bat from the left side
9 Hunter Vaughn - transfer IF. LHH Lot of versitility
2026 TEAM OUTLOOK
Offense: This was one of our strong areas this fall. We have a
lot of depth at every position and a lot of experienced players
offensively as well as several talented freshmen. We will have
a lot of options in the lineup and that internal competition can
be a valuable asset for everyone.
Defense: Defensively we can be really strong as well. We have a
lot of talented players that can make some special plays, but
consistency is going to be the key on how we perform
defensively.
Pitching: We have a lot of unproven guys on the mound so this
will be the area where we could also see the most growth. As
these pitchers progress through the season, I expect to see
several guys really grow into a more polished pitching staff.
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| Pellisippi State CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
Overall outlook: The Pellissippi State Baseball 30-man
roster will consist of 26 Sophomores this year. Heading
into year 2 as a program, expectations have been set after a
surprising 2nd place finish in year 1. On the mound this
year the panthers are returning Matthew Meade (MTSU Commit),
and Jacob Dillon who both threw 55+ innings last season.
They have also added transfers Cooper Jones (LMU), Carter
Kelley (Lipscomb Univ), Nathan Reed (Itawamba CC), Roanan
Cason (Yakima CC), and Lantz Shirk (Maryville College). All
showing very well this past fall. Freshman RHPs Zach
Johnson and Foster Whisman are also expected to be big
contributors this Spring.
On the position players side Returners Jacob Dillon (1B) and
Caden Channell (LF) are expected to be middle of the order
bats. Freshman infielders Caden Black and MaKai Derry have
been impressive all fall. Transfers Donovan Mitchell- CF-
(Univ. Of S. Alabama), Trace Simmons - C- (LMU), and Rex
Pendergrass - IF - (MTSU) are also expected to have a big
impact this spring.
The Pellissippi Panthers are hoping to improve their 33-23
(19-10 conference) record from last year.
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| Roane State CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
Only returning starter: 2B Jacob Bly — expected to move
around defensively this year. 3rd base would be ideal.
Impact Returners:
• SS/2B Preston Brooks — high-motor spark plug.
• INF Jackson Groves — Will play all 4 INF spots & led the
fall offense. 1st base would be ideal.
• OFs Brady Leroy & Collin Windham — experience + firepower.
Returning Pitchers:
• RHPs Carter Davis & Amarius Dunn — two steadying arms.
Fresh Arms: Ricky Solorzano, Reid Thomason, Brodie Roberts,
Isaac Hunter, Ryker Daniel, Haydn Davis, Drake Tucker, Jaxon
Woodlee, and Cam Curtis.
New Position Players: Sam Mullins, Nick Potts, Hayden Short,
Tristan Costoulas, Kaden Bottoms, Turner Samples, Cory and
Carson Hoard, Ben Caldwell and Nic Hoback.
After a 28-win campaign and 2 conference-tourney victories, the Raiders enter a full rebuild in 2026. A deep mix of unproven-upperclassman and young guns with some glimpses this fall makes this a wide-open roster with expectations to keep trending upward.
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| Southwest TN CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
1 Tylan Graves SS (McNeese State)
2 Tripp Ray C
3 Tyler Casserly CF
4 Owen Roether 3B
5 Cameron Baker IF/C
6 Blake Stricklin RHP
7 Declan Spinner LHP
8 Tyler Wilson RHP
2026 TEAM OUTLOOK
Offense: We have a chance to be very multi-faceted in how
we score runs this year. The potential for a high SLG + OBP
is there to reach our goal of having a high OPS. We showed
really good strike zone discipline this fall, but know that
we are about to see more high level arms this spring than we
saw in the fall. In the previous 5-6 years here, we have
been a team that was able to rely on Stolen Bases, but that
may not be a strength of this year's position player groups
- so we will need to find a way to work around that.
Defense: Our defense was a big strength of ours during the
2025 fall. If we can repeat the previous semester, we should
be high level at defending the field. Very strong defense in
the middle of the field, and our corner guys make the
routine plays. Out pitching staff may not have the strikeout
stuff that we have had in recent years, so there were more
balls in play this fall. We just need to focus on making the
routine plays and continue to help our pitchers pursue quick
innings.
Pitching: Pitching is a bit of an unknown for us. We like
the guys that we have, but not many have logged crucial
innings in a Southwest uniform for a spring game yet. We are
a bit of a "swiss army knife" with the different looks we
have on the mound, but just need to solidify some roles as
we start playing. We had 2 workhorse starters last year and
2-3 high level closers as well, but all 5 of those guys are
gone. We have more depth this year but maybe not as dominant
in our top 4-5 guys.
Overall outlook: We are excited to get going. The fall was
great for us, but our spring schedule presents a new
challenge for sure. We are coming off the winningest 3 year
stretch in the history of our program with 107 wins... but
our guys need to focus on the present and recognize that
those 107 wins don't mean anything for the games that they
are about to take part in this spring. There are 33 guys on
our roster, so we must find a way to stay healthy for a
heavy workload 56+ game season.
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| Volunteer State CC |
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
Offense: There are two returning position player starters – Easton Denning (1B) and AJ Armstrong (3B) along with Tucker Lorenz (SS) and Hudson Blank (OF) who played significant innings last year. Vol State will rely on these returners as well as returning Sophomores Elijah Harris (UTIL), Jayden Perez (OF) and Abe Goolsby (1B) and transfer hopefuls Brayden Baker (MIF), Tucker Smith (CIF/DH), Gabe Eddington (MIF/RHP), Noah Rice (OF), Bradley Pippin (C), Brennan Mealer (1B) and Jonathan Stewart (C), to have big years at the plate. Defense: The Pioneers were in the middle of the pack last year, defensively, and should be solid again this year. There is speed and athleticism in the outfield with Blank, Rice, Harris, and Perez, with transfer Adam Gordon and Freshmen Easton Beaty and Cole Purdy ready to fill in when needed. The infield of Armstrong, Lorenz, Baker, and Denning is sure handed and steady with Smith, Eddington, Mealer, and Goolsby backing them. Behind the plate, Vol State has brought in strong armed transfers Pippin and Stewart to compete with redshirt SO JC Menendez. Pitching: The Pioneers have five pitchers back from last year’s squad who threw less only 20% of the team’s total innings. Morehead’s 36 IP and Brady Davis’ 26 IP accounted for over half of those, and were 7-1 on the season. Consequently, those two will be relied upon heavily for a team with unproven hurlers. Godsey’s excellent fall should position him as the #1 starter, but Vol State’s success on the mound will be dependent on the health, effectiveness, and the ability to throw strikes of returning Pitcher’s Trent Miller and Jack Lester, along with transfer’s Jake Truitt, Tyler Zeligman, Owen Boswell, and Gabe Eddington. Freshmen Ean McCord, Aaron Anglin, Carson Pack, and Aiden Key will need to eat up some innings as well. Overall Outlook: In order to improve on last year’s 12-16 conference record, Vol State will need to excel in all three phases.
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| Walters State CC |
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
1. SS Kole Fenton, Dyer County High School, (University of North
Carolina signee), returns as the NJCAA National Gold Glove award
winner at SS.
2. LHP Brady Scott, Sevier County High School, (Murray State
University signee), great mound presence and command of all his
pitches.
3. RHP Major Osbolt, Science Hill High School, (Louisiana State
University signee). Made a huge jump this year and should have a
chance to settle into a weekend starter role.
4. RHP Ryan Smith, Science Hill High School, (University of
North Carolina signee). Competitive righty up to 94 with good
movement.
5. 1B/OF Drew Blalock, Independence High School. Should be a top
offensive force in our league this year. Also up to 91 on the
mound.
6. C Kenny Cox, Evangelical Christian School. Tremendous
defensive catcher, hit .420 last year as a freshman.
7. RHP/INF Justin Bell, William Blount High School. Legit
two-way player, up to 93 on the mound and hit .425 last year as
a freshman.
8. RHP Brayden Blankenship, Daniel Boone High School. FB up to
94 mph, went 4-0 with a 3.74 ERA as a Freshman.
9. RHP/OF David Hamilton, Grace Christian Academy. FB up to 96
mph along with big power at the plate.
10. INF Jackson Berry, Science Hill High School. (ETSU
Transfer). Solid all-around player with a hard-nosed mentality.
Can play multiple positions.
11. OF Jaxon Walker, Loudon High School. (UT Transfer). Plus
defender that can go get it in center field. Should be an
offensive threat as well.
12. RHP Bridger Hamilton, Sevier County High School. FB up to 93
mph with a plus breaking ball.
13. RHP Hayden Mills, Gibbs High School. FB up to 95 mph.
14. RHP Lane Sharp, Columbia Central High School. Tremendous
competitor on the mound, FB up to 94 MPH.
15. RHP Logan Quales, Tennessee High School. FB up to 95 mph.
16. RHP Colton Richards, Greeneville High School. Polished right
with a FB 88-90. Chance to make a jump now that he is healthy.
17. INF Luke Jenkins, Fayette Academy. Offensive infielder who
will challenge for playing time this year.
18. C Davis Peralta, Lakeway Christian. Solid all-around catcher
with a chance to be very offensive.
18. LHP Tim Tyler (University of North Carolina signee)
19. C Hayden Blair (University of Georgia signee)
20. RHP Preston Allen (University of Georgia signee)
2026 TEAM OUTLOOK
Offense: We have to replace a lot of firepower from last year,
having 107 home runs move on to 4-year schools, including
National Player of the Year Tyler Myatt (31 HR, University of
Tennessee). But we return a couple of key pieces as well with
Kole Fenton (.376, 91 runs) and Holden Pantier (.399, 13 HR).
The rest of the lineup will be new faces. They are talented, but
unproven, so I expect there to be some uphill battles while they
adjust to the everyday demands of facing college competition.
Defense: Our defense has a chance to be really good with Fenton
and Pantier anchoring the left side of the infield. The addition
of Jaxon Walker at the break will really help our OF defense. We
feel really good about our catching, having two older catchers
in Hayden Blair and Kenny Cox, who are both outstanding
receivers.
Pitching: Pitching should be a strong point on this years team,
as it may be one of the deepest staff's we have had at Walters
State. There is a ton of talent on this staff, but just like
everyone else, throwing strikes and executing pitches will
separate the best from the rest.
Overall outlook: On paper, this looks to be one of our more
talented teams here at Walters, but there are a lot of pieces
who are unproven at the college level. That showed in the fall
as we found ways to lose a lot of games. With the amount of
talent and high-level coaching that there is in our league,
those guys are going to have adjust quickly to this level of
play if we are going to have any success this season. It should
be a very competitive year in the TCCAA.
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