New Staff, New Season: Baseball Ready to Roll in 2026

FULTON, Miss. – A new chapter starts on the diamond at Itawamba Community College this spring.

Slater Lott takes over as head coach, joined by Cade Evans as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator and Caleb Goddard as a volunteer assistant.

ICC is coming off a 26-22 season in 2025, including a 17-9 mark at home. The Indians were an offense-first club a year ago, hitting .294 as a team and scoring 316 runs in 48 games. Now the conversation shifts to what carries over, what gets rebuilt and what the ceiling looks like with a roster that blends returners and impact transfers.

The quickest way to understand the Indians' confidence around the diamond is to look at who is back in the everyday conversation.

Reid Kent returns as a sophomore infielder after hitting .371 last season, giving the Indians a steady bat who can set the tone in any inning. Madden Butler is back with the kind of physical presence that changes a pitcher's plan. He hit eight home runs a year ago and drove in 28, and he will again be a centerpiece in the middle of the order. Bryson Jackson also returns behind the plate after a six-homer season, providing experience at catcher and a threat to flip a game with one swing.

Around that core, Lott has options. Edward Henriquez transfers in from Alvin Community College with a college background and a strong frame in the infield. Jacob Pearl brings experience from the University of Montevallo. Tre Gunn, Tyler Pickens and others give the outfield depth and athleticism that can show up in the gaps and on the bases.

Brody Thompson, Jack Cummings, Cannon Graham, Houston Green and several others give the lineup flexibility to match up, cover injuries and keep bats in the game.

If the Indians take a jump this season, it will likely be tied to pitching development.

Last year's staff finished with a 6.20 team ERA. There were bright spots, including Noah Robinson's 4.02 ERA and Andrew Williams' 2-0 record, plus Will Lipscomb logging 32 2/3 innings and giving the staff a reliable option in different roles. Those are real building blocks, and Evans stepping in as the pitching coach puts a spotlight on growth, strike-throwing and turning innings into momentum.

The 2026 roster also brings new arms and different looks. Gavin Baillargeon transfers from the University of Maine. Egan Lowery comes in from the University of Alabama. Riley Caygle arrives from Mississippi Delta. Connor Edge, Hayden Smith, Brady White, Jack Howell, Noah Wilder, Scott Green, Drew Rowsey and others give ICC length and competition, with multiple pitchers listed as two-way players.

That depth matters early because February baseball can turn into a sprint of doubleheaders and quick turnarounds. You win those weeks with pitching options, not just pitching hopes.

After the first seven games of the season were postponed, the Indians hope to open the season Thursday, Feb. 5, with a road doubleheader at Bevill State. Two days later, they are scheduled to host Bevill State on Saturday, Feb. 7. It is a quick test and a quick opportunity to establish an identity.

The February stretch stays busy with a road day at Dyersburg State on Tuesday, Feb. 10, then a three-game set with Illinois Central on Feb. 13-14. The mid-month slate brings two nine-inning games Tuesday, Feb. 17, against Mississippi Delta and East Central, followed by a four-game run with Lake Land on Feb. 20-21. ICC closes the month with a Wednesday, Feb. 25, trip to Senatobia for games against Northwest Mississippi and Northeast Mississippi.

Then the league grind hits. Conference play starts Wednesday, March 11, at Mississippi Delta, and March ramps up with Meridian, Northwest, Hinds, Southwest Mississippi and East Mississippi packed into the month. April is loaded with MACCC matchups as well, including trips to Pearl River and Northeast plus home dates with Coahoma, Copiah-Lincoln, Holmes and Jones.

This is not a "wait and see" season. It is a "go take it" season.

ICC has returning bats that have already produced at a high level, a roster full of players who can move around the field and a mound group that will be shaped by new instruction and internal competition. With a new coaching staff in place and a schedule that forces you to be ready from day one, the Indians will have a chance to define themselves early, then build into conference play with momentum.