BAY MINETTE, Ala.  — Spring sports hit the diamonds Friday and Tuesday for Faulkner State Community College’s baseball and softball teams, the Sun Chiefs opening at home and the Lady Sun Chiefs traveling to Niceville, Fla., for a tournament.

Veteran FSCC baseball coach Wayne Larker’s team hits the field at 11 a..m Friday against Bishop State of ~Mobile in the first game of the inaugural Faulkner State Classic on Stanley James Field..

Bishop State and Lawson play in the second game of the round robin event, the Sun Chiefs take on Lawson at 5 p.m.

All three games are scheduled for nine innings. The Sun Chiefs will also be at home Sunday afternoon for a 1 o’clock nine-inning game against Bevill State of Fayette, and travel to Niceville, Fla., on Tuesday for another nine-inning game against Okaloosa-Walton CC at 2 p.m.

Okaloosa-Walton will be the Lady Sun Chiefs first opponent on Tuesday in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at the Florida Panhandle school.

Third-year coach Paul Jones’ squad will journey to Dothan the following weekend to play six games in George C. Wallace CC’s tournament.

The Lady Sun Chiefs’ first home games are Feb. 12 in a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Central Alabama of Alexander City.

Larker led the Sun Chiefs to a 32-27 record last year that included another strong regular-season finish.

The Sun Chiefs won 12 of their last 17 conference games to reach the Alabama Community College-Conference/Region 22 Tournament where they lost their opener, then won three straight before being eliminated.

Jones’ second FSCC team finished 35-22 with two straight losses in the state/region tournament after going 30-30 two years ago and finishing second in the tournament a year after winning just four games..

The Sun Chiefs have just 11 sophomores on this year’s squad, including experienced hands in left-handed pitcher Blake Summers, right-hander Joe Carter, infielders Tanner Williams and Tim Daw and outfielders Chad Watson and Adam Heisler.

Baldwin Countians on this year’s FSCC baseball team are freshman right-handed pitcher Travis Corley of Baldwin County High School, freshman infielder Cody Barber of Daphne High and freshman infielder Chase DiChiara of Gulf Shores High.

Experienced sophomores on Jones’ roster include infielder Kristin Lambert of Foley, pitcher/second baseman Whitney Harris of Gulf Shores, third baseman Becky Lopez and infielder/outfielder Latoya Bishop of Baldwin County High.

Among Jones’ talented freshman crop are pitcher Nicole Sweat of Loganville, Ga., outfielders Amber Hester, Kandace Breeland and Meghan Wallace and infielder Natalie Charles of Mobile powerhose Baker High, catcher Beth Readland of Slidell, La., and infielder/outfielder Stephanie Beahn of Satsuma.