The high school baseball season in East Texas is winding down as a few area teams continue to chase their state championship dreams, but one East Texas team will hit the field on Thursday to open its 2024 campaign.

The Piney Woods TimberHogs, a Mid America League team based in White Oak, will open a 68-game season on the road Thursday against the Abilene Flying Bison.

Mid America League teams will play 34 games on the road and 34 games at home through early August followed by playoffs to determine a League champion. Team rosters will include a combination of the best college players in the country, undrafted post-college players and former professional players who are pursuing their dream to play for a Major League organization.

Joining the TimberHogs and Flying Bison in the MAL this season will be the Fort Smith Marshals, Joplin Outlaws, Sherman Shadowcats and Texarkana Rhinos.

The TimberHogs will play home games at White Oak Baseball Stadium.

After opening the season with games at Abilene Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the TimberHogs will take the day off Monday before visiting Sherman for games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The home opener is set for May 30 against Abilene, a four-game series that will also include games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday followed by a day off on Monday and then games at home against Sherman on June 4 and June 5 and Joplin on June 6.

All Monday-Saturday games will have 7:05 p.m. starts, and all Sunday games will start at 6:05 p.m.

This season’s roster includes:

Pitchers: Gage Goddard (Gilmer/Arkansas State Mount Home), Jordan Hodges (Longview/Centenary College), Karson Dunn (Queen Creek, Arizona/Phoenix College), Miguel Bustamante (Helotes/St. Mary’s), Taven Hathaway (Hololulu, Hawaii/SFA), Trent McGee (Forney/Dallas College Eastfield), Cade Cunningham (Austin/Phoenix College), Cade Medlin (New Diana/Arkansas-Little Rock), Grayson Werth (Longview/Wayland Baptist), Jake Johnson (Big Sandy/Champion Christian), Joey Ott (Kilgore) and Tyler Puckett (White Oak/Paris Junior College)

Catchers: Corbin Montayne (Dallas/Ranger Junior College), Giancarlo Maldonado (Helotes/SFA), Kahne Nolen (Eustace/Tyler Junior College), Wesley Deleon (Plano/Texas College) and Gio Melchione (Gilbert, Arizona)

Infielders: Alton Gatson (Longview/South Arkansas), Charles Chatman III (Tustin, California/Knox College)Karsten Fidler (Austin/SFA) and Seishou Uchikoshi (Gifu, Japan/Gifu Kyoritsu University)

Outfielders: A.J. Smith Jr. (Kilgore/Bethune-Cookman), Carter Pursley (Alto/SFA), Cermodrick Bland (Nacogdoches/SFA), Lukas Hinze (Chandler, Arizona/Phoenix College) and Luke Land (Longview/Hill College)

Head coach for the TimberHogs will be Matt Perisho, who was selected in the third round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft by the then-California Angels. He had an 18-year professional career, including parts of eight seasons at the Major League level.

Perisho also has international playing experience in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and Taiwan.

He has coaching experience at the high school and college level.

The team’s promotional schedule will include: Two for Tuesdays, Hog Wild Wednesdays, Thirsty Thursdays, Friday Night Fireworks, Super Saturdays, and Sunday Family Fun Days.

For details: timberhogsbaseball.com/elementor-402/