Catawba is ranked 24th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II preseason poll.
Eight teams in the Southeast Region are ranked in the top 40, including No. 5 Mount Olive, No. 14 USC Aiken, No. 20 Lander, No. 23 UNC Pembroke. No. 25 Coker, No. 32 Georgia College and No. 33 Montevallo.
Catawba will open the season in Boca Raton, Fla., against Lynn on Feb. 1. The home opener at Newman Park is scheduled for Feb. 7.
Brett Huffman (West Rowan) is one of eight starters returning for UNC Pembroke.
Senior second baseman Julio Zubillaga (Carson), junior center fielder Blake Houston (South Rowan) and senior pitcher John J. Tuttle (A.L. Brown) are among the key returners for Catawba coach Jim Gantt.
The final Division II football poll was an indicator of how tough Catawba’s schedule was this season.
The Indians played four teams ranked in the final top 25 — No. 2 Lenoir-Rhyne, No. 15 UNC Pembroke, No. 17 Carson-Newman and No. 23 Newberry.
Catawba won at Carson-Newman but lost to the other three at home.
Winston-Salem was 14th in the final rankings.
The Sam Moir Christmas Classic gets under way at Catawba today, with South Rowan, North Rowan, East Rowan, West Rowan, Salisbury, Carson and Davie participating.
Admission is $7 daily.
• On Friday, A.L. Brown’s teams open play in the Carolina Healthcare Systems Holiday Classic hosted by Cox Mill.
A.L. Brown plays Weddington in a first-round doubleheader, with the girls scheduled for 4 and the boys for 5:30.
Both A.L. Brown teams are 3-4. Weddington’s boys are 9-1, while the Weddington girls are 8-2.
• The NewBridge Bank Classic involving most of the Davidson County teams gets under way today at Ledford.
• Unbeaten Lake Norman is the No. 1 boys seed for the Statesville Record & Landmark Holiday Classic.
The field also includes No. 2 seed North Mecklenburg.
The surprise team in Iredell is North Iredell. Brian Cantrell’s Raiders are 8-1 and seeded third.
• Mount Tabor’s girls beat Winston-Salem Prep 39-31 in the championship game of the Mary Garber Classic.
R.J. Reynolds junior pitcher Logan Welch has committed to UNC. Welch was 4-1 with a 1.71 ERA last season
He’s the son of RJR coach Doug Welch.

The National Softball Association will hold an umpire clinic at Tilley Harley-Davidson in Salisbury on Jan. 19. The clinic is for slow-pitch officials only.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and the clinic will begin at 9.
The fee for the clinic is $55. Those interested in umpiring any league or tournament play should plan on attending. Rules and mechanics will be taught by Eastern Zone Umpire-in-chief Mike Snyder.
Contact women’s N.C. state director Genna Livengood at 704-239-6693.
Registration continues at the J.F. Hurley YMCA for boys basketball for ages 7-14.
Registration is open until Jan. 12. The cost is $36 for members and $60 for potential members. Contact Phillip Hilliard at 704-636-0111 or philliard@rowanymca.org.