The Piedmont Lions baseball team is ready to compete as they begin their first round of conference play.

The Lions may not have had the season they were looking for with a current record of 8-9-1, but that’s not stopping them from preparing themselves to play their best in conference.

“So far this season has been a grind from playing the top competition in the country and facing so many injuries throughout the year,” says pitcher and junior, Peyton Irvin. “Even though our record is not where we would like it to be I will still choose this team over any other team. When we put it all together and play our game, we are a tough group to beat. Conference play has me fired up because it is a new start, we are starting 0-0 now. We have a lot to prove this season in conference play and it all starts this weekend. We are coming off an off weekend and I know everyone is prepared mentally and physically going into conference play. This is where it all matters now.”

Coach Justin Scali has been preparing the Lions on and off the field both mentally and physically. Scali is looking to go far in conference and expects good outcomes from this team. Scali believes that it will take more than a single player to get the job done. He is relying on the team to work together and use all their talent to play to their best ability.

“We are excited to begin conference play at home this weekend against a quality opponent,” says Scali. “We have played a very difficult non-conference schedule thus far and hope that it has prepared us for the challenge presented each weekend in the USA South Athletic Conference. As far as specific players we are looking at to help make us successful, it is a lot less about individuals for us, but about the team as a whole. Each of our players are working hard individually, but ultimately, we are collectively working to accomplish our process and if we are able to do that, the results will be there in the end. We aren’t concerned with which individual performs the best, just more so concerned about the end results our team will accomplish together.”

The Lions will begin play this Friday on Mar. 17 at Loudermilk Filed at 7 p.m. as they face Brevard College for the beginning of conference play.