Collecting Diamond Wins

A winning spirit has become synonymous with the Georgia Gwinnett College baseball program, thanks to a 2016 team and its record-setting achievements on the diamond. 

Just three years after the Grizzlies’ inaugural season, the 2016 squad opened that spring with 25 consecutive wins and ranked as the nation’s best NAIA team for a majority of the season.

Attention to that team’s winning ways came this spring when the 2020 GGC team concluded the season with a 22-game streak.

The 2016 season started with a series sweep at Southeastern University (Fla.), with the visitors scoring 27 runs across the three games.

“Those wins sent a message (to others) that GGC baseball was elite. It really set a positive tone for the season, not just for us, but every other opponent for the remainder of the season,” stated Tyler Souris, a relief pitcher for the 2016 team.

However, others were well aware of the Grizzlies’ program. After all, the 2015 team achieved the first-ever No. 1 national ranking and the 2014 team had reached the Avista NAIA World Series – in its first season of national postseason eligibility.

So, expectations for 2016 were extremely high.

GGC’s offense scored 10 or more runs in seven of its first 13 games. In fact, the fewest number of runs scored came in a 4-2 win against University of Saint Francis (Ind.) at the Grizzly Baseball Complex in Lawrenceville.

Leading the way were four players who has .400 or better batting averages for the season. Zac Rinehart batted .440, with seven home runs and 62 RBI, while Josh Merrigan scored 66 runs, drove in 59 runs and hit .423. Marcus McCorkle added 33 stolen bases and had a .402 batting average and Trey Haygood batted .401 in 60 games. Woods batted .317 and had 11 doubles while starting 49 games.

Meanwhile, the pitching staff provided a one-two punch for the 2016 team. It had a 3.16 earned run average and tossed 15 shutouts. Davis Adkins was a perfect 14-0, with seven saves, on the mound. There were many times when the right hander would start a game and then be used as a reliever a few days later. He ended up striking out 101 opposing batters and had a 1.86 ERA for the season.

Souris’ ERA was slightly better at 1.86 behind a 1-0 record and four saves in 20 appearances. Nikolay Uherek and Tyler Oglesby each had nine mound wins and Trevor Bradley posted a 6-0 record and 1.91 ERA in six starts.

After opening with nine straight wins, the Grizzlies’ first stiff challenge came against its first nationally ranked opponent, No. 14 Tennessee Wesleyan University, in a midweek home game. GGC came away with a 5-1 victory.

Then, the team closed out the February portion of the season with one-run victories in three of four games against Lindenwood University Belleville (Ill.).

“Anytime we were down, we didn’t panic. We were a confident group, whether it was a tie game or we were down four runs with one out left,” stated Solomon, who transferred to GGC for his senior season in 2016.

A terrific diving catch by Haygood secured a 3-2 victory against Madonna University (Mich.) may have been a defining moment of the winning streak. It brought the 24th victory of the streak.

“I remember the moment specifically because I was on the mound. I still owe him dinner for saving not only me but also the winning streak,” recalls Souris.

Maybe it was an omen for what was to come. The winning streak ended the next day when Madonna scored six runs in the fifth inning for an 8-5 victory in mid-March. 

“I could sense a feeling of relief after losing that first game. Everyone was well aware of the win streak,” admits Souris.

On several occasions a lengthy winning streak can be followed by an emotional letdown and possibly a losing streak. That didn’t happen with the 2016 team as the Grizzlies rattled off 13 more straight wins, including a victory against top-ranked Faulkner University (Ala.) and a four-game sweep of No. 11 Keiser University (Fla.). A late-season sweep against No. 5 University of South Carolina Beaufort helped seal the success-filled regular season.

“We were always concentrating on winning the game we were playing that day, then turning our attention to the next game,” said Solomon.

Souris adds, “Any winning streak in baseball is a feat in itself, so to go on another run of 13 games really speaks volumes about the quality of the 2016 team.

In postseason play, the Grizzlies rolled to the Association of Independent Institutions tournament championship, defeating Clarke University (Iowa) 14-1 to qualify for the NAIA Opening Round. The team opened that level with a 3-0 victory against the University of British Columbia in Lawrenceville and defeated No. 19 Indiana University Southeast 8-2. Then, the season came to a disappointing end with consecutive setbacks to Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), losing 4-3 in the championship game.

The 2016 team finished with a 57-6 record – capping the first four seasons of GGC baseball with a 190-48 record.

Many of the players from the 2016 team have also had success in their post-GGC careers. Souris went on to earn a doctorate in chiropractic medicine at Life University (Ga.); Woods is a service manager for a forklift battery company; and Solomon is hoping to continue playing professional baseball with the Sioux Falls Canaries in South Dakota.

And, the baseball alumni players are proud of the program’s continued success, including the 2020 team’s winning streak.

“I was excited for what Coach (Jeremy) Sheetinger was doing with the team in his first season. He is a great guy and it showed because the guys were going out and playing hard for him,” said Woods.

The 2020 team’s 22-game winning streak will carry over to next spring in hopes of topping the winning ways of the 2016 squad and its special season.