BOONE, N.C. — Head baseball coach
Kermit Smith and two senior pitchers —
Luke Watts and
Reed Howell — met with reporters Monday as Appalachian State held a baseball/softball media day in the Appalachian Athletics Center.
With 13 returning players and 18 newcomers, the Mountaineers open the 2018 season on Feb. 16 with a three-game series at 2017 NCAA tournament participant UNCG.
"What I've witnessed, our newcomers didn't come in with a big ego, and I felt like our returners really just accepted them right out of the gates," said Smith, who is entering his second season in Boone.
App State's first home game is scheduled for March 2, the start of a three-game series against Marshall, and the Mountaineers will play South Carolina in Charlotte's BB&T Ballpark on March 6. In all, they are scheduled to play 40 games in the state of North Carolina.
Watts, who started a team-high 14 games on the mound last season after working out of the bullpen earlier in his career, and Howell, who had five saves in a team-high 25 mound appearances, are two of the 2018 team's six seniors.
App State has nine freshmen and nine transfers joining the veterans.
"I feel really comfortable with the guys," Howell said. "We've been with them since August, just working on our craft and getting better at the game of baseball."
"There's so many guys that can play, it's just being able to create a culture where it's next man up but there's no being mad if somebody's playing over me," Watts said. "Going back to that family atmosphere, you're not mad that your brother is having success. As long as we're winning, that's the biggest thing."
Season tickets are available at a cost of just $85 for adults, $75 for App State staff/faculty (limit of two) or senior citizens (limit of two) and $45 for youth (ages 3-12).
Season tickets can be purchased by clicking
HERE for the App State Ticket Central site, by calling the Appalachian State athletics ticket office at
(828) 262-2079 or by going to the ticket office, located at the Holmes Center, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Tickets for the South Carolina game in Charlotte will go on sale to the general public beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17 at BB&T Ballpark. Two hours later (at noon), tickets will go on sale online at CharlotteKnights.com and by phone at
704-274-8282.
