From little leagues to the major leagues, the beginning of any new baseball season is welcomed with a certain level of excitement. But at ABAC, there are extra reasons for a heightened sense of anticipation.

When the Stallions take the field Saturday at 1 p.m. hosting Johnson (Tenn.) University, it will be the program's first game as a four-year program and as a member of the NAIA and the Southern States Athletic Conference. On a more personal level, it will be head coach Blake Williams's first official game wearing the green and gold after he was hired last summer.

"There's some nervous energy for sure," Williams said. "I've been in the junior college ranks for 15 years, so it'll be my first time coaching a four-year program. With all of the other things that will be new for our program, it's definitely an exciting time. We're ready to get it started."

The Stallions will also play fellow SSAC member Point University in a non-conference game Saturday at 6 p.m. and return to the diamond Sunday at 2:30 p.m. for another game with Johnson. Williams believes solid competition early in the schedule will provide a great barometer for his Stallions.

"Johnson is a solid NAIA team and Spartanburg Methodist is a first-year NAIA team who was really good at the junior college level last year," he said. "Point, Middle Georgia, and Thomas are all in our conference and we'll play them early in non-conference games so our guys can see the kind of competition we'll have."

Williams will have a lot of experience on the mound, though most of it came away from ABAC. Junior Trypp Lumpkin has the most experience with the Stallions, appearing in seven games last year when he compiled 36 strikeouts. Junior Reigh Jordan was an NJCAA All-American last year at Wallace Community College where his 11 wins and 2.22 earned run average earned Pitcher of the Year honors for the Alabama Community College Conference.

Junior Kade Haywood followed Williams from Andrew to ABAC. Haywood was a starter on the Tigers' team that advanced to the NJCAA World Series in 2023. Also, freshman Lalan Ellis from Worth County has been impressive and should get some quality time.

At the plate, sophomore Quinten Rawls returns to shortstop after leading the Stallions in runs scored (44), doubles (15) and walks (31) last year to go along with 19 stolen bases. Also returning is junior third baseman Chasin Cash, who was second on the team last year with nine home runs and third with 32 RBI. Joe Cooney provides experience in right field after hitting .284 with 26 runs scored a year ago.

A transfer to keep an eye on is first baseman Cristofer Walley. After a standout career at Citrus High in Inverness, Fla., he comes to the Stallions after transferring from Division I Florida International.

"We've got a good mix of experience and some young guys," Williams said. "I'm sure we're the only team in the conference that doesn't have a senior on the roster. But we plan to compete right from the start. Obviously, moving from a junior college program to a four-year program, we're going to be young. We're building to have success for years to come but we are looking forward to competing this year."