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 MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - After winning its first American Mideast Conference North Division title and finishing as the NAIA Region IX Tournament runner-up for the fourth straight season with a 20-man roster that included 11 newcomers and four second-year players, the Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team will look to rely on an experienced versatile squad when the 2004 campaign gets under way on Saturday with a scheduled home doubleheader against Capital University at 1:00 p.m.

"The anticipation for the 2004 season is an improved and more consistent performance level from a year ago," said MVNU head coach Keith Veale, who enters his 15th season guiding the Cougars having compiled a 465-215 mark to go with five conference championships and four National Christian College Athletic Association national titles. "We have definitely improved our personnel and added depth to our roster. How that translates into wins and losses is yet to be determined."

Among the 15 returning players that make up the 2004 roster for MVNU are four returning starting pitchers. Senior left-hander Adam Rowe leads the way as he looks to wrap up a stellar collegiate career in fine fashion. Rowe has posted an impressive 23-8 record with 214 strikeouts in three years with the Cougars that have seen him already earn NAIA All-American Second Team honors once. The highlight of the 2003 season for him was a four-hit complete-game shutout over Tiffin University in the NAIA Region IX Tournament in which he struck out 11 batters.

"Adam is one of the elite pitchers in the NAIA and has won at every level," said Veale. "He gives us a chance to win every time he is on the mound."

One returning player who will miss the 2004 campaign will be right-handed pitcher Jon Barchus, who will red-shirt after an injury ended his season prematurely last year after he had compiled a 9-0 record with a 2.41 ERA and 73 strikeouts to earn AMC North Division Pitcher of the Year and NAIA All-American Second Team honors.

However, senior right-hander Jason Irish and sophomore right-hander Nick Schwartz will both return to the starting rotation after missing the 2003 season. In 2002, Irish went 4-2 with a 5.44 ERA, while Schwartz was 4-1 with a 5.50 ERA in his first collegiate season.

In addition, junior right-hander Derek Morey returns after a breakout season in 2003 when he went 5-3 with a 4.22 ERA to earn AMC North Division Honorable Mention status. Morey helped MVNU clinch a postseason berth with a win over Walsh University and gave the Cougars the AMC North Division title with a victory over Point Park (Pa.) College. Then, he earned an NAIA Region IX Tournament victory over Malone College.

"Losing Jon for the year is disappointing, but we are excited about the return of Jason and Nick," said Veale. "Both were out last year and have college pitching experience that is vital to compete day in and day out in the AMC. Add the progress of Derek, who threw some big games down the stretch last year, and we have a solid core to begin with."

Junior right-hander Carl Langley and senior right-hander Brian Barrish both return for their second season with MVNU after seeing limited action in 2003 and will look to add depth to the pitching rotation.

Leading the newcomers on the pitching staff is freshman right-hander Mike Laughlin, who has shown consistency and potential for innings this spring after a solid senior season at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Freshmen Devin Miller (LHP), Ryan Decker (RHP), Kyle Irish (RHP), and Bobby Shaw (RHP) will continue to develop and provide significant options as the season unfolds and playoff time rolls around.

Sophomore right-hander Kyle Peters is being looked upon as the potential closer after going 2-2 with a 5.86 ERA in five appearances as a starter in 2003. He also had 22 strikeouts in 27.2 innings with just 10 walks. "We love Kyle's competitive makeup on the mound and his ability to throw strikes," said Veale. "He is just a guy you want to give the ball to at the end of a close game."

Handling the MVNU pitching staff and the catching duties behind the plate will be senior catcher Justin Clarey, who was an NAIA First Team All-American as a sophomore and an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American as a freshman. For his career, Clarey is batting .363 with 23 home runs and 124 RBI. He will be backed up by freshman Ray McFerren, sophomore Jeff Derr, and freshman Ari Yoder.

"Justin is one of the premier hitters at our level," said Veale. "We are looking for a great finish from him to a special career at MVNU. He is outstanding at controlling the running game, and I believe he is still improving offensively and defensively. We are also excited to add Ray to our program as he is a very good receiver and shows great potential throwing from behind the plate. Jeff and Ari, whose strengths are on the offensive side, will also provide depth and continue to improve in all facets of the game."

The Cougars have lots of talent and versatility in the infield with five players competing for time at second base, shortstop, and third base. Leading the infielders is senior captain Dan Matheney, who has seen significant time at each of the three infield spots during his career and was an AMC North Division Honorable Mention pick at shortstop in 2003.

Peters, who started most of the time at second base last year and was another AMC North Division Honorable Mention selection, could play any of the three infield positions in addition to pitching and playing in the outfield. Sophomore Andrew Thompson returns to compete for a spot in the middle infield, while junior transfer Chris McKinney will play one of the three infield spots after two successful seasons at Columbus State Community College. Freshman Zack Helm rounds out the infielders after a solid career at Dayton Christian School.

"Dan is an excellent defensive player, a team leader, and a hard-nosed competitor," said Veale. "Kyle will play a lot of different positions because we want him in the lineup. Andrew had a good fall season, and he has quick hands and can make all the routine plays and more. Chris has college playing experience and credentials that you rarely have the opportunity to add into your program. He is a consistent defender and adds some pop to the batting order. Zack possesses a lot of potential, and his opportunities will unfold as his consistency level improves. These guys as a group are hard-working, competitive players who have enormous potential to be pretty special in the infield."

There are four options at first base in junior Ty Dendinger, Langley, Jason Irish, and Derr. Dendinger, the returning starter who batted .302 last season, is the best defensively, but he missed the entire fall with a hand injury. Langley provides a consistent home run threat when he is in the lineup with good bat speed, and he is improving defensively. Irish also has first base experience, while Derr completes the depth at the position and provides one of the few left-handed bats in the lineup.

The outfield may remain the most uncertain area for the team in 2004, but it is definitely improved from a year ago. Junior transfer Steve Edwards from Columbus State will patrol centerfield and provide an instant upgrade offensively and defensively. Meanwhile, the corner spots will be filled by junior Brent Zimmerman, who had a good fall season, and junior Tim Martini, who led MVNU in most offensive categories in 2003. Jason Irish will also figure into the outfield mix when not on the mound or at first base, and junior Nate Rutkowski, Peters, and Kyle Irish will round out the outfield competition.

After the Cougars open the season against Capital, MVNU is also scheduled to host non-conference games against NCAA III #21 Denison University, Ohio State University-Newark, and Siena Heights (Mich.) University before leaving for the team's annual spring trip to Fort Myers, Florida, where the Cougars will play 15 games in 10 days at the Gene Cusic Classic including games against NAIA #4 Warner Southern (Fla.) College, NCAA III power University of St. Thomas (Minn.), and NCAA II Florida Gulf Coast University.

MVNU has also moved from the AMC North Division to the AMC South Division where the Cougars will play four games each against NAIA #12 Ohio Dominican University, Shawnee State University, Tiffin University, the University of Rio Grande, Urbana University, and Cedarville University.

In addition, MVNU will play non-conference games at NCAA Division I Wright State University and Walsh University. The Cougars will also host non-conference games against NCAA III #10 College of Wooster, NCAA III #13 Ohio Wesleyan University, and Malone College.

"Our Florida trip appears very competitive and moving to the AMC South Division will pose some different challenges," said Veale. "The final wrinkle is moving to a four-game series against each team in the conference and a revised playoff format. We will have to see what the implications are as we work through them. I think the AMC South Division will be extremely competitive, and we plan on being in the playoff and championship hunt."