Catcher / Infield Preview | Pitcher Preview

HAMMOND, La. – One of the keys to good baseball defense is having outfielders that can chase down a fly ball in the gap. First-year Southeastern Louisiana coach Matt Riser believes his pitching staff won't have many worries behind them.

"We're very athletic, but had two tough ones to replace in Ladd Rhodes and Harry Slade," Riser said. "Both guys did a tremendous job for us last year, but we felt like we identified the right guys to come in."

Manning center field for the Lions will be sophomore Kyle Cedotal, a two-way player. Last season the Denham Springs, La., native earned spot-starting duty both in center and on the mound.

"Kyle Cedotal did a good job of going out this summer, getting some at bats and working on what we'd talked about," Riser said. "He's pretty much solidified the role in center field. The other part is he'll be a starting pitcher as well. We'll have to mix-and-match some, but freshman Jacob Seward will see some time in center and Corey Bryan is back healthy. We'll definitely run down a lot of baseballs."

Flanking Cedotal in center will be a pair of transfers.

Kiko Thompson, a junior from Jackson, Miss., led  Hinds Community College in batting average (.359), hits (47), on-base percentage (.462) and tied for the team lead in hit-by-pitches (10) last season. He also stole 12 bases in 15 attempts.

"Kiko Thompson is very athletic," Riser said. "He had some small injuries in the fall, but now he's completely healthy. He's looked fantastic so far this spring and has probably nailed down left field."

A key piece to the Southeastern lineup will be junior outfielder Andrew Godbold. Last season he finished 24th in the nation with a .420 batting average. He pounded out 19 doubles, drove in 38 runs and stole 23 bases at Triton College in River Grove, Ill.  Godbold, who recorded eight outfield assists, is expected to settle into right field.

"We wanted to bring in a big bat and feel like we did that with Andrew Godbold," Riser said. "He'll hit in the middle of the order, 3-4-5, and is a big, physical kid. He obviously has power, when you see his presence in the box, but has just a great baseball mind and idea of how to hit.

Webb Bobo, who will also see time at first base and as the designated hitter, could spell Godbold in right. Ryan Byers, a redshirt freshman from Ponchatoula, La., and Gabe Woods will vie for time in the outfield. Woods, a senior from nearby Albany, La., will also provides depth in the infield, in addition to seeing some time as the designated hitter.

The Lions open the 2014 season, Feb. 14-16, with a three-game series at Louisiana Tech before returning home to face preseason No. 3-ranked LSU, Feb. 19, at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

Season tickets are on sale for the 2014 baseball season. Box seats ($250), reserved chairback ($100), and upper grandstand ($60) options are available. Box seats grant membership in the Lion Athletic Association ($125 level). A family plan ($200), consisting of two adult and two youth general admission tickets, is also available.

For more information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or 1-866-LION-TIX. Ticket office hours are 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Fridays, and is located in Room 107 of the Dugas Center for Southeastern Athletics.