Here’s a look at South Alabama basketball as the Jaguars prepare to open the 2025 season at home Friday vs. SIU-Edwardsville in the South Alabama Invitational at Stanky Field:

Coach: Mark Calvi (14th year)

Last season’s record: 31-25 (14-16 Sun Belt)

Postseason: None (lost in first round of Sun Belt tournament)

Top returning players: C Duncan Mathews (Soph., .347 OBP, 15 RBIs); 1B Lucas Ismaili (Sr., 11 HR, 42 RBI); 2B Brennan Holt (Jr., .383 OBP, 19 steals); OF Ethan Melton (Soph., 5 HR, 23 RBIs); UT Rett Johnson (Soph., 14 RBIs); LHP Jaxon Shineflew (Soph., 3-0, 4.43 ERA); RHP Mitchell Heer (2-2, 23 K); LHP Zach Willingham (3.52 ERA, 28 K)

Key losses: 1B Micah Morgan (.330, 30 RBIs); OF Will Turner (.409 OBP, 9 HR); OF Joseph Sullivan (9 HR, 32 RBI); SS JG Bell (25 RBIs); RHP Cam Hill (4-3, 4.39 ERA); RHP Grant Wood (2.83 ERA, 9 saves); RHP Gant Starling (5-2, 3.24 ERA)

Key newcomers: 3B Kyle Morrison (Jr., Shelton State CC); SS Hector Mangual (Jr., Eastern Florida State); OF John Smith (Jr., Pensacola State); OF Josh Stevenson (Sr., Ohio State); LHP Eli Zielinski (Soph., Jacksonville State); RHP Andrew Floyd (Jr., Southern Union State); RHP Garrett Kangas (Sr., Campbell)

Season opener: Friday at home vs. SIU-Edwardsville, 6:30 p.m.

Sun Belt opener: March 14 at Georgia State, 5 p.m.

Notable: South Alabama has installed artificial turf for the first time at Stanky Field, in hopes that the regular rainouts that have plagued the Jaguars both in terms of games and preseason workouts have become a thing of the past. There is also a new “batter’s eye” behind the center field fence, which should boost offense. … The Jaguars are picked to finish 10th in the 14-team Sun Belt Conference this season. They have not won a postseason game since winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament and advancing to the Gainesville Regional final in 2021. South Alabama went one-and-done in the conference tournament in both 2022 and 2024, and missed the tournament entirely in 2023. … The Jaguars begin the season a bit banged up on the pitching staff, with Zielinski (lat strain), Cooper Cooksey (biceps) and Chase Davis (hand) all sidelined for at least the first few weeks. Zielinski, a Freshman All-American at Jax State in 2023, is attempting to come back from elbow surgery that cost him all of 2024. Davis, a highly touted freshman who was drafted out of high school by the Detroit Tigers, suffered severe burns on his right (glove) hand in an offseason cooking accident at home. … Morrison was the top hitter on a Shelton State team that reached the NJCAA World Series in 2024, batting .450 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs in 60 games. Along with fellow transfers Stevenson, Smith and Mangual, he’s expected to boost a South Alabama offense that finished 13th in the 14-team Sun Belt in runs scored (5.6 per game) and 12th in slugging percentage (.394). … Shineflew is expected to start Friday night’s season-opener on the mound, followed by right-handers Zach Stevens on Saturday and Tyler Smith on Sunday. Monday’s starter is to-be-determined.

Calvi says: “Our goal is always to win the league and make some noise in the postseason. I feel like we’ve got a good schedule, and if we finish in the top 3-4, we’ve got a chance to get in a regional. The Sun Belt has really gotten to be a good, tough league, that has a lot of respect nationally.”

South Alabama 2025 baseball schedule

(Home games in ALL CAPS)

Feb. 14, SIU-EDWARDSVILLE, 6:30 p.m.^

Feb. 15, KENT STATE, 6:30 p.m.^

Feb. 16, EASTERN KENTUCKY, 3 p.m.^

Feb. 17, EASTERN KENTUCKY, noon^

Feb. 21, at UAB, 2 p.m.

Feb. 22, at UAB, 1 p.m.

Feb. 23, at UAB, 1 p.m.

Feb. 25, NEW ORLEANS, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 26, ALABAMA STATE, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 28, JACKSONVILLE, 6:30 p.m.

March 1, JACKSONVILLE, 2 p.m.

March 2, JACKSONVILLE, 1 p.m.

March 7, at Louisiana Tech, 6 p.m.

March 8, at Louisiana Tech, 2 p.m.

March 9, at Louisiana Tech, 1 p.m.

March 11, OLE MISS, 4 p.m.

March 14, at Georgia State, 5 p.m.*

March 15, at Georgia State, 2 p.m.*

March 16, at Georgia State, noon*

March 18, at Alabama, 6 p.m.

March 21, LOUISIANA, 6:30 p.m.*

March 22, LOUISIANA, 2 p.m.*

March 23, LOUISIANA, 1 p.m.*

March 25, vs. Auburn (Montgomery), 6 p.m.

March 28, at Southern Miss, 6 p.m.*

March 29, at Southern Miss, 2 p.m.*

March 30, at Southern Miss, 1 p.m.*

April 1, SE LOUISIANA, 6:30 p.m.

April 4, GEORGIA SOUTHERN, 6:30 p.m.*

April 5, GEORGIA SOUTHERN, 2 p.m.*

April 6, GEORGIA SOUTHERN, 1 p.m.*

April 11, at Arkansas State, 6 p.m.*

April 12, at Arkansas State, 6 p.m.*

April 13, at Arkansas State, 1 p.m.*

April 15, ALABAMA STATE, 6 p.m.

April 17, TEXAS STATE, 6:30 p.m.*

April 18, TEXAS STATE, 6:30 p.m.*

April 19, TEXAS STATE, 1 p.m.*

April 23, at New Orleans, 7 p.m.

April 25, at Marshall, 5 p.m.*

April 26, at Marshall, 3 p.m.*

April 27, at Marshall, 10 a.m.*

April 30, NICHOLLS, 6:30 p.m.

May 2, TROY, 6:30 p.m.*

May 3, TROY, 2 p.m.*

May 4, TROY, 1 p.m.*

May 6, at SE Louisiana, 6 p.m.

May 9, APPALACHIAN STATE, 6:30 p.m.*

May 10, APPALACHIAN STATE, 2 p.m.*

May 11, APPALACHIAN STATE, 1 p.m.*

May 15, at Louisiana-Monroe, 6 p.m.*

May 16, at Louisiana-Monroe, 6 p.m.*

May 17, at Louisiana-Monroe, 1 p.m.*

May 20-25, Sun Belt tournament (Montgomery)

^ — South Alabama Invitational* — Sun Belt Conference game