# 2024 North Alabama Lions baseball team

The 2024 North Alabama Lions baseball team represented the University of North Alabama during the 2024 NCAA Division I baseball season. They were led by head coach Jad Prachniak, in his 2nd season at UNA. The Lions played their home games at Mike D. Lane Field as a members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
This was the Lions' last season at Mike D. Lane Field as it was demolished to make room for their new stadium, Bank Independent Stadium.

## Previous season

The 2023 team finished the season with a 14–37 record and a 8–22 record in ASUN play. They finished 13th in conference standings after a tiebreaker put UNA ahead of Bellarmine.

## Preseason
### Preseason ASUN honors

First baseman Kyle Machado was selected to the Preseason All-ASUN Team. He was the only North Alabama player selected to the fourteen person team.
Preseason All-ASUN Team :
| Player | No. | Position | Class |
| Kyle Machado | 5 | 1B | Graduate Student |

### Coaches poll

The ASUN baseball coaches' poll was released on February 8, 2024.
ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Points |
| 1 | Lipscomb | 137 (7) |
| 2 | FGCU | 123 (2) |
| 3 | Jacksonville | 115 (1) |
| 4 | Stetson | 103 |
| 5 | Kennesaw State | 99 (1) |
| 6 | Austin Peay | 84 (1) |
| 7 | EKU | 77 |
| 8 | Central Arkansas | 65 |
| 9 | North Florida | 56 |
| 10 | Queens | 30 |
| 11 | North Alabama | 25 |
| 12 | Bellarmine | 22 |

## Personnel
### Coaching Staff

| Name | Position | Seasons at North Alabama | Alma Mater |
| Jad Prachniak | Head Coach | 2 | University of Rhode Island (2005) |
| Chris Blakey | Associate Head Coach | 3 | University of North Alabama (2018) |
| Nick Patten | Assistant Baseball Coach / Hitting Coach | 2 | University of Delaware (2021) |
| David Mervis | Assistant Baseball Coach / Pitching Coach | 2 | University of Delaware (2021) |
Source:

## Schedule and results

Legend :
| | North Alabama win |
| | North Alabama loss |
| | Postponement/Cancellation/Suspensions |
| Bold | North Alabama team member |
2024 North Alabama Lions baseball game log :
Regular season :
February :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | ASUN record |
| February 16 | at South Alabama | Eddie Stanky Field Mobile, AL | L 2–3 | Gant Starling | Brycen Parrish | N/A | ESPN+ | 1,214 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| February 17 | Southern Indiana | Eddie Stanky Field | W 13–7 | Carson Howard | Gavin Wilson | N/A | ESPN+ | 654 | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| February 18 | Lamar | Eddie Stanky Field | L 1–9 | Hunter Hesseltine | Kevin Henrich | N/A | ESPN+ | 856 | 1–2 | 0–0 |
| February 20 | Belmont | Mike D. Lane Field | L 2-6 | Joe Ruzicka | Caleb Menina | N/A | ESPN+ | 152 | 1-3 | 0-0 |
| February 23 | Morehead State | Mike D. Lane Field | L 2–5 | Luke Helton | Jacob Bradshaw | N/A | ESPN+ | 203 | 1-4 | 0-0 |
| February 24 | Morehead State | Mike D. Lane Field | W 9–6 | Jacob James | Grant Herron | Dane Sykes | ESPN+ | 215 | 2-4 | 0-0 |
| February 25 | Morehead State | Mike D. Lane Field | L 9–13 | Will Grimmett | Justus Agosto | N/A | ESPN+ | 265 | 2-5 | 0-0 |
| February 27 | at Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium | L 1-8 | Ethan Lyke | Dane Sykes | N/A | ESPN+ | 137 | 2-6 | 0-0 |
March :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | ASUN record |
| March 2 | UAB | Mike D. Lane Field | W 9–8 | Anthony Pingeton | Braxton Brooks | N/A | ESPN+ | 272 | 3–6 | 0–0 |
| March 2 | UAB | Mike D. Lane Field | L 8–10 | Brooks House | Justin Battle | Christian Clack | ESPN+ | 317 | 3–7 | 0–0 |
| March 3 | UAB | Mike D. Lane Field | L 3–8 | Colin Daniels | Kevin Henrich | N/A | ESPN+ | 252 | 3–8 | 0–0 |
| March 7 | Murray State | Mike D. Lane Field | L 6–11 | Ethan Lyke | John Allen Stogner | N/A | ESPN+ | 207 | 3–9 | 0–0 |
| March 9 | UT Martin | Mike D. Lane Field | W 10–0$^7$ | Jacob James | Tristan Walton | N/A | ESPN+ | 232 | 4–9 | 0–0 |
| March 10 | UT Martin | Mike D. Lane Field | W 3–1$^7$ | Jacob Bradshaw | Eric Steensma | Brycen Parrish | ESPN+ | 191 | 5–9 | 0–0 |
| March 10 | UT Martin | Mike D. Lane Field | W 5–2 | Anthony Pingeton | Choyce Diffey | Caleb Menina | ESPN+ | 225 | 6–9 | 0–0 |
| March 12 | at Memphis | FedExPark | L 2–16$^7$ | Cade Davis | John Allen Stogner | N/A | ESPN+ | 597 | 6–10 | 0–0 |
| March 16 | Kennesaw State | Toyota Field | L 5–10 | Nolan Silver | Brycen Parrish | N/A | | 422 | 6–11 | 0–1 |
| March 16 | Kennesaw State | Toyota Field | L 1–11$^7$ | Blake Aita | Jacob Bradshaw | N/A | | 489 | 6–12 | 0–2 |
| March 17 | Kennesaw State | Toyota Field | W 4–2 | Dane Sykes | Smith Pinson | N/A | | 388 | 7–12 | 1–2 |
| March 19 | at Tennessee Tech | Howell Bush Stadium | W 8–4 | John Allen Stogner | Reece McDuffie | Carson Howard | ESPN+ | 175 | 8–12 | 1–2 |
| March 22 | at Eastern Kentucky | Turkey Hughes Field | L 0–10$^7$ | Nathan Lawson | Jacob James | N/A | ESPN+ | 101 | 8–13 | 1–3 |
| March 23 | at Eastern Kentucky | Turkey Hughes Field | L 5–6 | Joe Clancy | Brycen Parrish | Garrett Langrell | ESPN+ | 101 | 8–14 | 1–4 |
| March 24 | at Eastern Kentucky | Turkey Hughes Field | L 1–5 | Rese Brown | Anthony Pingeton | Garrett Langrell | ESPN+ | 150 | 8–15 | 1–5 |
| March 28 | Lipscomb | Mike D. Lane Field | L 2–8 | Alex Brewer | Jacob James | N/A | ESPN+ | 385 | 8–16 | 1–6 |
| March 29 | Lipscomb | Mike D. Lane Field | W 5–3 | Caleb Menina | Chandler Giles | Dane Sykes | ESPN+ | 114 | 9–16 | 2–6 |
| March 30 | Lipscomb | Mike D. Lane Field | L 2–15$^7$ | Jake Poindexter | Anthony Pingeton | N/A | ESPN+ | 141 | 9–17 | 2–7 |
April :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | ASUN record |
| April 3 | Alabama A&M | Mike D. Lane Field | W 13–5 | John Allen Stogner | Gabe Nicholson | N/A | ESPN+ | 115 | 10–17 | 2–7 |
| April 5 | at Jacksonville | John Sessions Stadium | W 9–1 | Jacob James | Pe Prescott | N/A | | 371 | 11–17 | 3–7 |
| April 6 | at Jacksonville | John Sessions Stadium | L 2–9 | Logan Jones | Dane Sykes | N/A | | 388 | 11–18 | 3–8 |
| April 7 | at Jacksonville | John Sessions Stadium | L 4–5$^{10}$ | Is Williams | Brycen Parrish | N/A | ESPN+ | 302 | 11–19 | 3–9 |
| April 13 | at Bellarmine | Knights Field | W 15–2$^7$ | Jacob James | Sam Matherly | N/A | ESPN+ | 125 | 12–9 | 4–9 |
| April 13 | at Bellarmine | Knights Field | L 11–12 | Nolan Pender | Caleb Menina | N/A | ESPN+ | 125 | 12–10 | 4–10 |
| April 14 | at Bellarmine | Knights Field | W 22–3$^7$ | Anthony Pingeton | Thomas Sylvester | N/A | ESPN+ | 125 | 13–10 | 5–10 |
| April 16 | at Belmont | E. S. Rose Park | L 9–15 | Caleb Guisewite | John Allen Stogner | N/A | ESPN+ | 123 | 13–11 | 5–10 |
| April 19 | Stetson | Mike D. Lane Field | L 4–8 | Anthony DeFabbia | Jacob James | Zane Coppersmith | | 368 | 13–12 | 5–11 |
| April 20 | Stetson | Mike D. Lane Field | W 5–4 | Jacob Bradshaw | Aric McAtee | Dane Sykes | | 274 | 14–12 | 6–11 |
| April 21 | Stetson | Mike D. Lane Field | L 1–4 | Daniel Paret | Anthony Pingeton | Cole Stallings | | 372 | 14–13 | 6–12 |
| April 23 | at Ole Miss | Swayze Field | L 4–9 | Grayson Saunier | John Allen Stogner | N/A | SECN+ | 12,996 | 14–14 | 6–12 |
| April 26 | Central Arkansas | Mike D. Lane Field | L 4–9 | Jess Barker | Jacob James | H. Alexander | ESPN+ | 364 | 14–15 | 6–13 |
| April 27 | Central Arkansas | Mike D. Lane Field | L 4–14$^8$ | P. Christensen | Jacob Bradshaw | N/A | ESPN+ | 385 | 14–16 | 6–14 |
| April 28 | Central Arkansas | Mike D. Lane Field | L 3–6 | Cole Macrae | Anthony Pingeton | H. Alexander | ESPN+ | 393 | 14–17 | 6–15 |
| April 30 | at Middle Tennessee | Reese Smith Jr. Field | L 2–9 | Dylan Alonso | John Allen Stogner | Justin Lee | ESPN+ | 796 | 14–18 | 6–15 |
May :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | ASUN record |
| May 1 | Samford | Mike D. Lane Field | L 10–19 | Cole Fryman | Justin Battle | N/A | ESPN+ | 224 | 14–19 | 6–15 |
| May 3 | at Queens | Stick Williams Dream Baseball Field | W 11-7 | Jacob James | Landry Jurecka | Brycen Parrish | ESPN+ | 75 | 15–29 | 7–15 |
| May 3 | at Queens | Stick Williams Dream Baseball Field | W 8–2 | Dane Sykes | Carson Magill | N/A | ESPN+ | 80 | 16–29 | 8–15 |
| May 5 | at Queens | Stick Williams Dream Baseball Field | L 8–13 | Johnny Joseph | Anthony Pingeton | Isaiah Bennett | ESPN+ | 72 | 16–30 | 8–16 |
| May 7 | at Samford | Joe Lee Griffin Stadium | L 3–12 | Miller Riggins | John Allen Stogner | N/A | | 133 | 16–31 | 8–16 |
| May 10 | North Florida | Mike D. Lane Field | L 4–3 | Jordan Wimpelberg | Jacob James | Zane Starling | | 317 | 16–32 | 8–17 |
| May 11 | North Florida | Mike D. Lane Field | W 4–2 | Jacob Bradshaw | Tony Roca | Dane Sykes | | 741 | 17–32 | 9–17 |
| May 12 | North Florida | Mike D. Lane Field | Tie 4–4$^{13}$* | N/A | N/A | N/A | | 367 | 17–32–1 | 9–17–1 |
| May 14 | at Mississippi State | Dudy Noble Field | L 4–8 | Cam Schuelke | Carson Howard | N/A | SECN+ | 9,349 | 17–33–1 | 9–17–1 |
| May 16 | at Austin Peay | Raymond C. Hand Park | L 13–2$^7$ | Jacob Weaver | Jacob James | N/A | ESPN+ | 783 | 17–34–1 | 9–18–1 |
| May 17 | at Austin Peay | Raymond C. Hand Park | L 3–8 | Josh Howitt | Jacob Bradshaw | N/A | ESPN+ | 583 | 17–35–1 | 9–19–1 |
| May 18 | at Austin Peay | Raymond C. Hand Park | W 14–13 | Brycen Parrish | Deaton Oak | Jacob James | ESPN+ | 606 | 18–35–1 | 10–19–1 |
Source:
* The May 12 game against North Florida ended in a tie at the end of the 13th inning as the game reached the travel curfew for the away team

## Records broken

Jacob James broke the school's all-time strikeout record in the third to last game of the season against Austin Peay. In the second-inning, James threw career strikeout No. 281 which put him in sole possession of the record. The previous record holder was Chad Boughner, who had 280 career strikeouts at North Alabama. James would finish the season with 284 career strikeouts.

## Postseason honors

Two North Alabama Lions were selected for postseason ASUN honors.
Third Team All-ASUN :
| Player | No. | Position | Class |
| Gehrig Frei | 4 | 3B | Sophomore |
| Jacob James | 10 | P | Senior |