The Enterprise Yellow Jackets open the 2016 baseball season today in Loyd Star’s baseball classic.

The Jackets will battle the Franklin County Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. and return to Loyd Star Saturday to take on the Natchez Cathedral Green Wave at 12:30 p.m.

Coach Cass Brister is hoping his team can improve on a 10-13 season last year. Enterprise finished 7-4 in Region 7-2A action.

The Jackets will have eight returning starters back – catcher Hunter Richardson, pitcher/infielder Landon Gartman, shortstop Reese Brocato, first baseman Max Miller, center fielder Tanner Waldrop, second baseman Brady Watts, right fielder Jeffery Daniels and third baseman Marvin Butler.

“These guys have worked extremely hard to prepare for this season,” said Brister. “I really look forward to seeing where this season takes us and see how much we progressed since last season.

Our pitching and experience will be our strengths this season. We have a lot of guys who are young, but have significant playing time.”

Enterprise lost only two senior starters to graduation – left fielder Layne Brown and pitcher/designated hitter Josh Hardin.

The Jackets will five road games before returning home for their first regular season contest against region foe Amite County March 11. Junior varsity action begins at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 7 p.m.

 Enterprise baseball schedule 

FEBRUARY 

20-Enterprise Jamboree

26-27-at Loyd Star Classic (26-Franklin Co., 6:30 p.m.; 27-Cathedral, 12:30 p.m.)

MARCH 

4-5 at Loyd Star Tournament (4-South Pike, 6 p.m.; 5-East Marion, 12:30 p.m.)

8-at Amite County

11-Amite County

12-at Bogue Chitto

18-Brookhaven at Co-Lin

19-at South Jones

22-Bassfield

24-at Bassfield

29-Loyd Star

APRIL 

1-at Loyd Star

2-at Brookhaven, 11 a.m.

2-St. Andrews, 3-5 p.m.

5-West Lincoln

8-at West Lincoln

9-Franklin County

12-Prentiss

15-at Prentiss

16-at Natchez Cathedral

18-South Jones

19-at Lawrence County