MOBILE, Ala. – Jared Barnes, a junior catcher on the University of South Alabama baseball team, is this week's guest on "Inside JagNation."

In this installment of the official podcast of Jaguar Athletics, Barnes discusses goals for the spring and explains how the program can build on its accomplishments of the last two seasons.  He also talks about how he approaches his role as a leader on the team, how he has to develop individual relationships in working with Jag pitchers and his development and role in calling pitches for South's staff.  Other topics Barnes addresses include his start in the sport and as a catcher, having to decide between playing on the collegiate or professional level following his high school career and why he chose to come to USA.

He and the Jaguars will open the 2017 season this weekend with a three-game series against Eastern Illinois at Stanky Field, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. (CST) Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. for Sunday's finale.

Click here for Episode 28 of "Inside JagNation"

Entering his third season at the collegiate level, Barnes has a .268 career batting average with 21 doubles, six home runs — which all came in 2016 — and 56 RBI, and has posted .354 on-base and .385 slugging percentages.  Last spring he hit .292, drove in 34 runs and scored 36 others while recording on-base and slugging percentages of .390 and .467, respectively; in Sun Belt Conference play, he was among the league leaders with a .351 batting average, .446 on-base percentage and .532 slugging percentage.  In his two years with the program, the Jags have a 79-42 overall record with a 40-18 mark in league action, have won one conference regular-season championship and shared another, and played in an NCAA Regional.

In addition to twice being named to the SBC Commissioner's List — which requires a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher for the academic year — the native of Tallahassee, Fla., was invited to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer.

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To download free episodes of "Inside JagNation," individuals can search for "South Alabama Jaguars" on iTunes.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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