HOUSTON, Texas | Jackson State opens the 2025 baseball at Daikin Field on Friday morning against its final opponent from last season and defending conference champion Grambling State in the opener of the Cactus Jack Classic.

First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. and the game will be carried by BCSN and on Facebook.

Jackson State (36-20 last season) will face the Tigers in the opener, before facing Alabama A&M on Saturday morning (11 a.m.) and Texas Southern to close out the weekend on Sunday (3 p.m.). Jackson State and Grambling State last faced each other in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship game in Atlanta last season, and were picked to finish third and first respectively in the preseason conference standings.

The Tigers return several players from last season including a trio of preseason picks for the all-conference team. Jordan McCladdie, the Preseason Player of the Year, leads an offensive attack that returns 53.9 percent of its scoring output from a season including 161 total runs combined from McCladdie, First Team Preseason outfielder  Joseph Eichelberger and Second Team Preseason shortstop Robert Tate Jr. heading into the opener.  They also return most of their production at the plate with three aforementioned leading the team in hitting last season, along with Shemar Harris who came on near the end of the season to hit .375 in 56 official at-bats. 

Jackson State also returns several players who saw action last season in Davione Hull (.290/.420/.393), Tyshon Patty (.263/.263/.440), Ledy Alvarez (.256/.341/.380), and a pair of catchers in DeVante Wells and Hederick Torres who were back-ups last season. On the mound, the Tigers return several arms including a conference starter Erick Gonzalez (5-2, 5.54 ERA) and closer CJ Lewis (3-0, 3.19 ERA, 2 saves). They also return JeAndrick Lourens (4-3, 5.77 ERA), Stevins Spurgeon Jr. (4-1, 5.81 ERA), and Brandon Haston (2-1, 8.24 ERA).

The Tigers will look to several newcomers to fill holes left for the upcoming season with Silas Moore (outfield), Wilbert Perez (first base), Pierre Cabral (designated hitter), Eric Elliott (pitcher), and Cam'Ron McCoy (pitcher). A pair of freshmen will also play key roles for Jackson State in Anthony Brown (infielder) and Carson Foster (lhp).

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