2020 Spring Intrasquad Schedule

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team opened fall practice for the 2020 season on Fri., Jan. 24, at Stanky Field.

The Jaguars held a pair of intrasquad games on Friday afternoon and Saturday evening to kick off the opening week of practice. South Alabama returns 20 letterwinners from last season's squad, including seven starters and nine pitchers. Three Jaguar starting pitchers, JoJo Booker, Drake Nightengale and Caleb Yarborough, return from 2019 as part of the nine returning hurlers on the roster.

Collegiate Baseball ranked the Jags No. 23 in its 2020 preseason poll. Ethan Wilson was named Preseason First-Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball, and Nightengale was selected Preseason Second-Team All-America by the organization.

Wilson was also named Second-Team Preseason All-America by D1Baseball earlier this month. He was named the 2019 Collegiate Baseball National Co-Freshman of the Year and was also First-Team All-America selection by the organization. Wilson earned First-Team Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2019, Third-Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball and the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings, in addition to being a First-Team All-Central Region selection.

Wilson was the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, as well as First-Team All-Sun Belt honors.  He is the first freshman in conference history to be named the Sun Belt Player of the Year, and was the first to earn the award since Jordan Patterson in 2013. Wilson finished his freshman campaign ranked second in the conference in slugging percentage (.686) and total bases (151), tied for second in home runs (17), tied for third in runs scored (59), sixth in batting average (.345) and on-base percentage (.453), tied for eighth in hits (76), ninth in RBIs (51) and tied for ninth in doubles (16). 

Nightengale went 6-2 with a 3.52 ERA and one save in 15 appearances with 12 starts last year. He recorded 91 strikeouts against 38 walks in 71 2/3 innings pitched while limiting opponents to a .196 batting average.

He went 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA and 49 strikeouts against seven walks in his final five starts of the 2019, which encompassed 34 1/3 innings, and turned in a quality start in each of those starts. He led the Sun Belt Conference in opposing batting average, and ranked fourth in ERA and strikeouts. 

The Jaguars are scheduled to intrasquad five times this week:  Monday (3:30 p.m.), Tuesday (5 p.m.), Friday (5 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m.). For updates regarding intrasquad games, check the intrasquad schedule on the baseball page at USAJaguars.com, as well at the Jaguar Twitter account (@WeAreSouth_BSB).

South Alabama opens the 2020 season against Campbell on Fri., Feb. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Stanky Field. 

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

Join the Dugout Club - the baseball-specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members enjoy all games from inside the Stadium Club with climate control, private restrooms, private concessions and access to listen to the radio broadcast. All donations to the Dugout Club go directly to support the South Alabama baseball program. For more information on how you can join visit JaguarAthleticFund.com.