HOT SPRINGS, ARK. - Historic Majestic Park in Hot Springs, Ark. will host the Third Annual Mike Dugan Collegiate Baseball Invitational February 1-4.
The tournament is named for the late Mike Dugan who was one the state’s foremost sports historians and a leader in efforts to establish the Historic Baseball Trail in Hot Springs, which now draws visitors from across the country.
A former sports information director at Henderson State University (1980-88), Dugan was instrumental in efforts to transform the former site of the Hot Springs Boys and Girls Club into Majestic Park. Dugan passed away February 4, 2021 but his dream lives on as thousands of boys and girls have enjoyed playing baseball and softball at one of the premier facilities in the country.
This year’s event features four teams from the Natural State including Southern Arkansas, Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist and Arkansas-Monticello, all members of the Great American Conference.
Three teams from the MIAA including Northeastern State, Missouri Southern and, Rogers State are participating in the eight-team event.
Newcomer to the tournament, making the 1000 mile trip from Golden, Colorado is Colorado School of Mines from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Ticket prices at Majestic Park are $8 per day per person, with those ages 10 and under admitted free.
Henderson State will take on Rogers State to start this year’s event with the first pitch set for Thursday at 10 a.m.
The Dugan family, including Susan Dugan, Mary Kate Dugan Whitmire and son-in-law Colton Whitmire will be on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Ouachita Baptist will then face Northeastern State at 1 p.m.
The feature game of day one is set for a 4 p.m. start and matches Southern Arkansas, ranked No. 17 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason Top 25 (3rd in the Central Region), taking on Missouri Southern State, ranked No. 23 in the NCBWA poll, fourth in the Central Region.
Four games are scheduled for Friday, with Northeastern State playing Ouachita Baptist at 10 a.m,; Rogers State taking on Southern Arkansas at 1 p.m.; and Colorado Mines facing off against Arkansas-Monticello at 4 p.m. Friday’s feature game matches Missouri Southern against Henderson State at 7 p.m.
There are five games are on the docket for Saturday with Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist both facing Colorado-Mines at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia. The Reddies and Orediggers are set to start at Noon, while the Tigers taking on Mines at 3 p.m.
Saturday’s schedule at Majestic Park begins at 10 a.m. with Arkansas-Monticello playing the first of two games, the first against Rogers State, followed by a game with Missouri Southern at 1 p.m.
Northeastern State will then battle Southern Arkansas to cap off the third day of the Invitational with the first pitch set for 4 p.m.
The final day of this year’s event (Sunday) begins with Southern Arkansas playing Colorado-Mines at 10 a.m., followed by Missouri Southern taking on Ouachita Baptist at 1 p.m. The final game is set for 4 p.m. with Henderson State closing out the 15-game schedule against Northeastern State.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
(Home team listed second)
Thursday, Feb. 1
10 a.m. Henderson State vs. Rogers State
1 p.m. Ouachita Baptist vs. Northeastern State
4 p.m. Southern Arkansas vs. Missouri Southern
Friday, Feb. 2
10 a.m. Northeastern State vs. Ouachita Baptist
1 p.m. Rogers State vs. Southern Arkansas
4 p.m. Colorado Mines vs. Arkansas-Monticello
7 p.m. Missouri Southern vs. Henderson State
Saturday, Feb. 3
10 a.m. Rogers State vs. Arkansas-Monticello
1 p.m. Arkansas-Monticello vs. Missouri Southern
4 p.m. Northeastern State vs. Southern Arkansas
Noon Ouachita Baptist vs. Colorado Mines
(Game at HSU – Clyde Berry Field)
3 p.m. Colorado Mines vs. Henderson State
(Game at HSU - Clyde Berry Field)
Sunday, Feb. 4
10 a.m. Southern Arkansas vs. Colorado-Mines
1 p.m. Missouri Southern vs. Ouachita Baptist
4 p.m. Henderson State vs. Northeastern State
THE FIELD
Southern Arkansas has won three consecutive GAC regular-season championships and are the two-time defending GAC tournament champion. In 2023 the Muleriders made their 15th NCAA regional appearance including a trip to the NCAA Division II World Series in 2022.
The Muleriders were named as the GAC preseason favorite for the third-straight year and for the tenth time overall.
SAU returns five returning position starters and a pair of starting pitchers including Jeremy Adorno who threw the only no-hitter in the Dugan Invitational back in 2022 against Missouri Southern. The junior finished the 2023 campaign with an 8-4 record, sporting a 4.20 ERA while striking out 123 batters in 109 innings of work.
Also returning is All-GAC third-baseman Brandon Nicoll (.335, 20 2B, 11 HR, 69 RBI), outfielder Chris Lyles (59 H, 54 R, 18 2B, 14 SB), infielder Will Richardson (.346, 72 H, 20 2B, 53 RBI), pitcher Mikel Howell (8-2 W/L, 3.13 ERA, 89.0 IP, 79 K) and one of the countries top relief pitchers in Isaiah Haynes (1.65 ERA, 13 Saves).
Missouri Southern State, 45-17 in 2023, was picked to finish second in the MIAA preseason coaches poll. The Lions are coming off a historic 2023 season, winning the second most games in a season and advancing to their first NCAA Regional Tournament appearance since 2019 (ninth appearance overall). In the national polls, the Lions were ranked as high as No 4 during the season.
The Lions return 13 position players and 15 pitchers from a season ago, nine of those being named All-MIAA last season.
Some of the top returnees include second-team All-American Nate Mieszkowski (.374 average, 19 doubles, 14 home runs and 66 RBI), All-Region shortstop Henry Kusiak (.313 average, 18 2B, 13 HR, 58 RBI), second-team All-MIAA pick Treghan Parker (.329, 13 2B, 18 HR, 62 RBI) and MIAA Freshman of the Year Ethan Clark (.372, 17 2B, 65 RBI).
Ouachita Baptist, ranked No. 7 in the Central Region, is coming off the program's best season in 15 years following the team's second straight appearance in the NCAA tournament in the spring of 2023. The Tigers finished last year at 37-19 overall and 23-10 in GAC games, just one game behind conference champion Southern Arkansas in the regular season standings.
The 2024 Tiger roster features 18 lettermen returning from last year's squad, highlighted by eight returning starters combined between position players and pitchers.
Among the top returners include All-American outfielder G. Allen (.378, 14 2B, 12 HR, 45 RBI ), all-region shortstop/pitcher Dustin Bermudez (.308, 15 2B, 12 HR, 55 RBI,.656 Slg ), all-conference catcher/designated hitter Michael Quinones (.346, 18 2B, 11 HR, 49 RBI,.588 Slg.) and all-conference pitcher Luke House (3.43 ERA, 6-3, 62 K, 65.2).
Henderson State is ranked10th in the Central Region preseason poll. The Reddies have appeared in the NCAA Regionals two of the last three years, just missing out in 2024 after posting a 33-22 record. In the last three seasons, the Reddies have compiled a 100-58 record, which is the second best record in the GAC over that stretch.
The Reddies return an experienced group with three of the team's top four hitters back from a year ago, including fifth-year senior Kaden Argenbright who has a career average of .343 including a .338 average in 2023 with 12 doubles and 38 RBI.
Headlining the pitching staff are Reese Weaks, Andrew Howard and Ryan Galvan. Howard owned a clubhouse-best 8-3 record while Weaks led the team with 60 strikeouts as opposing batters hit just .216 off him, which led the GAC.
Also returning to the mound will be closer Henry Coppens, who was second on last season's squad with five saves as he allowed just 17 hits in 19 appearances while recording 45 strikeouts in 33.2 innings of work.
Northeastern State last appeared in a NCAA Regional in 2022. The Riverhawks will look to first year coach Sunny Golloway to lead them back to the postseason.
Golloway has been very successful in rebuilding programs and has 752-427-1 all-time coaching record. He was the head coach at Auburn University for two years, leading them to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Golloway also spent eight seasons as head coach at the University of Oklahoma, where he led the Sooners to seven NCAA Regional berths, four NCAA Super Regionals and the 2010 College World Series.
Second-team All-MIAA designated hitter Coby Tweten returns after hitting .356 with 9 home runs and 39 RBI. Also returning are third baseman/relief pitcher Ty Van Meter (.284, 7 HR, 31 RBI) who was a honorable mention All-MIAA pick and first baseman C.D. White (.337, 9 HR, 34 RBI) who earned a spot on the 2022 Dugan Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Arkansas-Monticello has 25 new faces on campus to go along with five position and one pitching starters. The Boll Weevils finished 2023 with a 31-21 record and a 20-13 mark in league play.
Catcher Chaz Poppy earned second-team All-GAC honors last season after hitting .327, with 8 home runs, 44 RBI, and a .545 slugging percentage.
Outfielder Kirk Wolfe and shortstop Chase Cripps both earned GAC Honorable Mention a year ago. Wolfe hit .342 with 15 double and 9 home runs, while Cripps batted.344, including 10 doubles, 7 home runs and 41 RBI.
UAM’s top returning pitcher is Connor Irvine who was 7-5 in 2023 with a 4.55 ERA and 97 punchouts in 83 innings pitched.
Rogers State is coming off a 26-22 campaign, finishing with a 14-19 conference record.
The Hillcats return six position starters and three starting pitchers including All-MIAA outfielder AJ Folds who batted .351 with 15 doubles, 19 RBI, and 15 stolen bases.
Also back are utility player Geovanni Blackshaw (.336, 3 HR, 21 RBI) and outfielder Carson Cheatwood who hit for a .269 average as a freshman.
Octavio Sanchez heads up the pitching staff after sporting a 3-0 record with 8 saves and a 2.66 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched. Andres De Leon made 11 pitching appearance including 9 starts in 2023. The sophomore right-hander posted a 2-4 record and struckout 36 batters in 43 innings.
Colorado-Mines was voted fourth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll following a 22-25 finish last year including a 17-15 record in league play.
The Orediggers return 22 players including seven starters in the batting lineup, and three starting pitchers.
Topping the list of returners is RMAC Freshman of the Year outfielder Jackson Woolwine (.366, 54 R, 64 H, 38 RBI) fellow outfielder Mason Andrews (.356, 52 R, 50 RBI, 15 2B, 10 HR), honorable mention All-RMAC shortstop I-Ly Hsue (.328, 38 R, 22 RBI, 9 2B, 4 HR) and utility player Luke Folsom (.243, 23 R, 27 H, 25 RBI, 5 2B, 3 HR).
For more information on events at Majestic Park, go to majesticpark.org.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
(Home team listed second)
Thursday, Feb. 1
10 a.m. Henderson State vs. Rogers State
1 p.m. Ouachita Baptist vs. Northeastern State
4 p.m. Southern Arkansas vs. Missouri Southern
Friday, Feb. 2
10 a.m. Northeastern State vs. Ouachita Baptist
1 p.m. Rogers State vs. Southern Arkansas
4 p.m. Colorado Mines vs. Arkansas-Monticello
7 p.m. Missouri Southern vs. Henderson State
Saturday, Feb. 3
10 a.m. Rogers State vs. Arkansas-Monticello
1 p.m. Arkansas-Monticello vs. Missouri Southern
4 p.m. Northeastern State vs. Southern Arkansas
Noon Ouachita Baptist vs. Colorado Mines
(Game at HSU – Clyde Berry Field)
3 p.m. Colorado Mines vs. Henderson State
(Game at HSU - Clyde Berry Field)
Sunday, Feb. 4
10 a.m. Southern Arkansas vs. Colorado-Mines
1 p.m. Missouri Southern vs. Ouachita Baptist
4 p.m. Henderson State vs. Northeastern State
