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MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team will look to add another successful chapter to the winning tradition known as Cougar baseball when the 2006 season gets under way.

Coming off a 31-17 record in 2005 in which MVNU advanced to the championship game of the NAIA Region IX Tournament for the sixth straight year, the Cougars return 14 players including four position starters and three starting pitchers. MVNU finished second in the highly competitive American Mideast Conference South Division with an 18-6 conference mark, and the team also advanced to the National Christian College Athletic Association national tournament and finished fourth.

"We feel that we have the ability to do some really good things this year,” said MVNU head coach Keith Veale, who enters his 17th season with the Cougars having led the program to a 537-251 mark with six conference championships, four NCCAA national titles, and the school’s only two NAIA World Series berths. "Our team is younger than last year, but it is still experienced in a number of key areas.”

For MVNU, the success of each team has begun with its starting pitching. This season should be no exception as the Cougars return three starters and six other pitchers who all saw action last year. Leading the way for MVNU will be junior right-hander Mike Laughlin, who posted a 7-2 record with a 1.86 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 63 innings in 2005. Laughlin, who was named to the AMC South Division First Team and the NCCAA All-American Team, also tossed the 13th no-hitter in school history against Cedarville University last season.

Senior right-hander Nick Schwartz will follow Laughlin in the rotation. Schwartz posted a 5-2 record with a 4.57 ERA and a team-high 64 strikeouts in 65 innings last year. He was also named to the AMC South Division Second Team.

Joining Laughlin and Schwartz in the starting rotation will be junior right-hander Ryan Decker and senior right-hander Kyle Peters. Decker posted a 3-3 record with a 6.51 ERA in 2005, while Peters compiled a 5-2 record with four saves and a 5.30 ERA in his first two seasons but did not pitch in a game in 2005 while starting 47 games in the infield.

"The front end of our pitching staff will be a real strength for this club,” said Veale. "Mike, Nick, and Ryan have all pitched in big games the past couple of years. Mike had a tremendous year last season, and he has the ability to dominate games. Nick is a four-year starter for us. He is durable and has been a consistent performer throughout his career. Ryan keeps getting better. He has shown as much improvement over his career as anyone I can remember. We look for him to become a quality arm in our conference. We feel that Kyle can be a major contributor for us on the mound. Last year, we lacked the infield depth to allow him to pitch, but he will get innings this year.”

Sophomores Marc Hadley (RHP) and Brandon Turner (LHP) and junior right-hander Jason McIntosh will each be called upon to provide starting depth and compete for innings. Turner posted a 1-1 record last season, while Hadley and McIntosh did not pitch in a game for the Cougars last year. Sophomores Jason Barber (RHP) and Dave Yost (RHP) each went 1-0 on the mound in their first college season and will add depth to the pitching staff, while freshmen Jason Decker (RHP), Kevin George (RHP), and Angel Feliciano (LHP) will each compete for innings for MVNU.

Senior left-hander Jake Poole returns as the team’s closer after posting a 3-2 record with one save and a 5.09 ERA last season as he was named to the AMC South Division Second Team. Freshman right-hander Josh Estep could also see action in this role after a stellar career at Gahanna Lincoln High School.

"Jake proved to be a valuable commodity last spring,” said Veale. "He is resilient to both pressure and innings. We put him in a number of tight situations last spring and he handled them exceptionally well. We also think that Josh fits the closer role if we want to go to him. He has a good arm and throws strikes. He seems to relish the competition, and we feel he could be a good compliment to Jake.

Handling the catching duties and the MVNU pitching staff will be junior Ray McFerren, who returns after starting 28 games last year and batting .279. Freshman Bobby Deppe will serve as the primary back-up for McFerren, while junior Ari Yoder and sophomore Richey Burgos could also see time behind the plate.

"Ray is a solid receiver and thrower behind the plate,” said Veale. "We also feel that he has perhaps shown his most improvement as a hitter. Bobby will push Ray for catching time. He is very relaxed behind the plate, and he instills confidence to our pitching staff with his quiet receiving skills. He will also compete for at bats in the designated hitter position.”

The Cougars have experience, versatility, and depth on the infield with starters returning at every position except first base. Yoder will move to first base after catching his first two seasons. He batted .333 last year with 23 RBI in 28 games. Burgos, Barber, and freshman Chad Jewell will each provide depth and competition at the position.

"We think that Ari can make the transition from catcher to first base pretty smoothly,” said Veale. "We feel that he is ready to be a significant offensive contributor. He is an intelligent player and will adjust quickly.”

Junior Zack Helm returns at second base for MVNU. Helm batted .295 with 21 RBI last season and also committed just four errors in 142 fielding chances. Estep and freshman Adam Knight will provide depth at the position for Helm, who had off-season shoulder surgery.

Peters returns to anchor the infield defense at shortstop after earning AMC South Division First Team honors there last season after batting .368 with 22 RBI and 46 runs scored. Estep will back Peters up and should see time especially when Peters is on the mound.

"Kyle had a fantastic season last year at shortstop,” said Veale. "He provides outstanding leadership on and off the field. He can and has played a number of positions for us defensively. He will leave MVNU with one of the best careers in our program’s history.”

Burgos returns at third base after starting 47 games there a year ago and batting .378 with team highs of 46 RBI and 48 runs scored in being named to the AMC South Division Second Team. Estep, Jewell, and Knight are all options at third base if Burgos moves to first base or takes a game off.

"Richey stepped into our line-up last year and established himself as an elite player in our conference,” said Veale. "He will hit in the middle of our batting order and be a solid run producer. His offensive abilities are eye-opening, but he is an exceptional defensive player as well.”

The outfield will be the one unknown for the Cougars as all three spots will be up for grabs following the graduation of all three starting outfielders last year. Junior transfer Eddie Smith will anchor the outfield from centerfield. "Eddie has good speed to cover the gaps,” said Veale. "We also believe that he will be a significant offensive contributor with some pop in his bat.”

Hadley will most likely open the season in rightfield after seeing action in 24 games last year. "Marc has shown some good development offensively and defensively,” said Veale. "He possesses a strong arm and an aggressive style of play that will help our overall team. He also provides a left-handed bat with some pop in our line-up.”

Freshman Casey Garland earned playing time in the fall with his offensive ability and will most likely start the season in leftfield. "Casey has a solid offensive approach at the plate,” said Veale. "He is a strong athlete with very few holes at the plate. In the outfield, he gets a good jump on the ball and provides a strong, accurate arm.”

Junior Garret Shivley, Turner, Knight, and freshman Nick Martindale will all provide outfield depth. Shivley started in 12 games last year and scored 31 runs in 38 games overall. Meanwhile, Turner batted .500 in 10 games with seven RBI and seven runs scored.

"We have had a fairly significant turnover in our roster, but I think that is going to be a positive situation,” said Veale. "We have experience in the infield and on the mound. We return the majority of our starting infielders, which is foundational for us to be a quality defensive team. Our incoming players have some good skills that will challenge our returning starters. We feel that the new players we have added to our club are talented and can contribute now.”

"We will have a new outfield this year,” Veale added. "All three positions will have new players starting. We feel that this will not be a problem. We have enough competition and ability to overcome any lack of experience. Our batting order is still in question at this point, and we may not formulate a typical one-through-nine batting order. We are capable of fielding nine quality hitters, though.”

The Cougars are scheduled to open the season on March 4 with a non-conference home doubleheader against Spring Arbor (Mich.) University. The team will then host a game against Capital University and a doubleheader versus Ohio State University-Newark before heading south to Fort Myers, Florida, for the team’s annual spring trip. MVNU is slated to play 13 games in nine days on the trip including a pair of doubleheaders at Florida College.

Upon returning north, the Cougars will host perennial NCAA Division III power Ohio Wesleyan University in a single game. Other non-conference games on the team’s schedule include a doubleheader at Walsh University, who received votes in the NAIA preseason poll, a single game at Capital, and a home doubleheader with NCAA Division II University of Findlay.

"We continue to try to challenge our club competitively,” said Veale. "Putting together a quality schedule has become increasingly difficult. Our non-conference schedule is as good as we can play. We have a number of schools who refuse to play us and that makes it difficult to challenge our players.”

MVNU, which received votes in the NAIA preseason poll, will also look to challenge for the AMC South Division title once again as the Cougars will play four games each against Ohio Dominican University (NAIA No. 11), the University of Rio Grande, Shawnee State University, Cedarville University, Tiffin University, and Urbana University. The top four regular-season finishers will qualify for the playoffs and a shot at advancing to the NAIA Region IX Tournament.

"The AMC is a very challenging baseball conference and there is no one in the South Division who will allow us to relax,” said Veale. "The teams that made the playoffs last year are expected to be strong again. I also believe that we will see some significantly improved teams in our division. If someone is flat for a four-game series, it could cost them a potential postseason opportunity.”

With the off-season workouts almost behind them, the Cougars are ready to take the field and get the 2006 season under way. MVNU hopes that its regular season will prepare them for a long postseason run.