"I’m very excited with the new talent that has come in to
compete for playing time," Head Coach Jamey Shouppe said. “The last two weeks
have gone really well and we’re excited to play against someone else to see
where we stand. These games against the Junior Colleges are a good opportunity
for us to see them in person for recruiting purposes and they get to see the
program we’ve become.”
The Rattlers return 16 players from the 2016 team that finished the regular season as the overall number one seed in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). In 2016, Florida A&M recorded its first 30-win season since 2003 and just the third 30-win season since becoming a Division I program in 1980. In a strong offensive season, the Rattlers finished ranked in the top 10 nationally in three categories. FAMU also set program records in seven categories and finished in the top three of 19 different categories in program history.
With 21 newcomers to the fall roster, there is plenty of
competition for positions in the middle infield and in the outfield that was
left vacant from graduating seniors following the 2016 season. There are also
plenty of talented new arms to fill a pitching staff that is poised to be much
stronger in 2017.