INDIANAPOLIS – It is finally time for Greyhound baseball, as the University of Indianapolis baseball team will begin their 2024 campaign on Friday. The Hounds are set to travel to Notre Dame (OH) where they will face off for a doubleheader split between the hosting Falcons and the Lake Erie Storm on Friday, Feb. 16. They will follow that up with another contest against the Storm on the following Saturday.
 
Before the start to the season, the Hounds have been nationally recognized already, sliding into the top-five of the NCBWA rankings, while being tabbed to finish third in the Great Lake Valley Conference via the preseason coaches' poll.
 
The regular season start to last season was a historic one for the Hounds, jumping to a 11-0 start, with series sweeps against Notre Dame (OH), Grand Valley State, Purdue Northwest and Davenport. That momentous streak marked the best start to a season for UIndy since 1997. That was just the start of what ended up being a historic year for the Hounds, as they went 39-21 overall with a 21-7 mark while playing at Bill Bright Field.
 
The Greyhounds parlayed that early success in tournament excellence, sweeping the NCAA Midwest Regional and eventual Super Regional to earn their trip to Cary. N.C. and the program's third ever regional title.
 
The Hounds return nearly all of their offensive firepower from last year, headed up by Drew Donaldson at second base who became the first ever Greyhound to be an ABCA, NCBWA and D2CCA First Team All-American in the same season. Alongside Donaldson, the Hounds welcome back Caleb Vaughn in right-field who earned All-Midwest Team honors. For Donaldson, he's already been predicted to repeat his heroic 2023, being tabbed a NCBWA Preseason All-American in late January.
 
With the returning firepower, the Hounds also added some new weapons in Missouri S&T standout Cole Hampton, after leading the Miners in OPS (1.194), batting average (.354), home runs (12), RBIs (57) and total bases in the 2023 season as their primary third baseman. He was not the lone Miner to join the Hounds, with Dakota Sill also joining the Hounds after leading S&T in hits, stolen bases and triples while manning centerfield.
 
On the bump, the Hounds graduated nearly half of their total innings pitched but return with a stellar bullpen headed up by crafty sidearm-tosser E.J White and junior Austin Bestul. On the starters side, the Hounds return Logan Peterson who tossed 73.2 innings who finished the year tied for second place in wins.
 
The Hounds are once again headed up by Al Ready who enters his sixth season after a 40-19 record and a 18-14 GLVC split in 2023.