The Cougars return 12 players including six position starters and three starting pitchers from last year’s squad that posted a 39-21 overall record, advanced to the championship game of the NAIA Region IX Tournament for the ninth straight year, and captured the program’s unprecedented sixth National Christian College Athletic Association national title.

Coach Keith Veale, who was named the NCCAA National Coach of the Year for the sixth time, enters his 20th season at MVNU with a 641-310 overall record. He will look to those returning players and a talented crop of newcomers to continue the program’s winning tradition.

Success for the Cougars in 2009 will all start with the performances of the MVNU pitching staff. Senior right-hander Josh Estep returns to anchor the staff after posting a 6-1 record on the mound with a 3.62 ERA, three saves, and one shutout. He was a huge factor down the stretch last year as he posted six of the team’s final 17 wins of the year on the way to the NCCAA national title and earned NCCAA National Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.

Senior right-hander Jason Decker proved to be very dependable as he went 8-6 with a 3.28 ERA while tossing 11 complete games in 14 starts to finish one shy of the school record of 12 complete games. Senior left-hander Brandon Turner returns after missing all of last year due to an injury and looks to recapture the form that led him to post an 8-1 mark with four shutouts and a 2.56 ERA in 2007. Meanwhile, sophomore right-hander Caleb Wright will also be in the starting rotation after going 5-3 with a 5.95 ERA and two shutouts in his rookie season.

"Our pitching depth has a chance to be a real strength for this club,” said Veale. "Josh finished last year with some exceptional stats and enters this year as a front-line conference starter. Jason is a team leader on and off the field. He won eight games last year and has been a consistent starter for us the past couple of years and is a tremendous mentor to our pitching staff. Having Brandon back on the mound is a real plus. He has been throwing well in the preseason and I know he is eager to finish his career strong. His ability to return to form on the mound will be critical to our overall season. Caleb got some valuable experience last year and is a tough challenge for the other team when he is on his game.”

Sophomore right-hander Steve Miller and freshman right-hander Kyle Barr could also both earn a spot in the starting rotation and are also both being considered for the closer’s role. Miller went 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 11.2 innings last year, while Barr went 6-3 with a 1.84 ERA at Bishop Hartley High School.

The rest of the pitching staff will be made up of sophomore left-hander Andy Podolak, freshman right-handers Jerrob Decker, Darren Athey, Jeff Estep, and Jared Farmer, and freshman lefty Justin Brown. Podolak posted a 2-1 record with a 2.92 ERA in 14 relief appearances last year. Jerrob Decker went 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 32.2 innings at Miami Trace High School, while Athey went 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 46.1 innings at Licking Valley High School. Jeff Estep went 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 42 innings at Brookland-Cayce High School, while Farmer posted seven wins with a 2.07 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 63 innings at Minford High School. Meanwhile, Brown went 5-2 with a 2.12 ERA and 38 strikeouts at Westerville Central High School.

"Steve came on strong towards the end of last year,” said Veale. "He and Andy provided some solid relief last spring and should build on that experience. The incoming arms have the very real potential of helping this year. There is some outstanding ability in this group. They will push hard for innings and I am certain at least one or two of them will have a significant impact this spring.”

Three catchers will handle the MVNU pitching staff. Junior Travis McInerney returns after playing in 49 games with 46 starts last year while posting a .350 batting average and driving in 26 runs, and he will split time behind the plate and at first base. Sophomore Ian Durbin transferred in from Northern Kentucky University where he batted .458 in nine games, and sophomore Ricardo Rodriguez adds experience and a left-handed bat after hitting .256 with 12 RBI in 19 games a year ago.

"Travis established himself as a quality hitter last season,” said Veale. "He is a tough out at the plate. A move to first base defensively will allow us to keep his bat in the lineup while still providing options behind the plate. Ian is an important addition to our defense. He has thrown the ball well from behind the plate this fall and should improve us in that area. Ricardo’s bat and steady improvement will allow him to make big contributions this spring.”

Along with McInerney seeing time at first base, junior Matt Parks returns after setting a school record with 460 putouts at the position last year. Parks, who batted .297 with four home runs, 36 RBI, and 41 runs scored will see some action at first base, but will most likely move across the diamond and start at third base. "Matt will move to third base as well as still seeing some time at first base,” said Veale. "We look for him to settle into the middle of our lineup and provide some pop and consistency.” Freshman Josh Roberts will also add depth at the position after batting .490 with seven home runs and a school-record 54 RBI at Zane Trace High School.

When not on the mound, Josh Estep will start at second base where he earned AMC First Team and NCCAA All-American honors last year after batting .384 with six home runs, 43 runs scored, and 48 RBI. He also earned the NAIA Region IX Rawlings’ Gold Glove at the position with just six errors in 266 fielding chances while helping the team set a school record with 72 double plays.

"Josh is a premier player in our conference,” said Veale. "He will be a significant leader on both sides of the ball for us. He will be at the top of our rotation on the mound and hit in the middle of our batting order.”

When Josh Estep is on the mound, sophomore Michael Hendren, sophomore Alan Varney, or Jeff Estep could see time at second base. Hendren played in 52 games last year with 13 starts and batted .302 with 34 runs scored. Varney served primarily as a courtesy runner in six games, and Jeff Estep batted .297 with 15 RBI. All three players could also see time at third base with Hendren also a possibility at shortstop.

Freshman Clint Yoder will look to take over the shortstop position for the Cougars. Yoder batted .500 with 11 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 25 stolen bases, 49 runs scored, and 31 RBI in helping Hiland High School to a state runner-up finish.

"Clint has impressed us with his ability to make routine plays,” said Veale. "He is an intelligent player who will provide a number of intangibles in the middle of our infield. He will also give us quality at bats offensively.”

Junior Kodi Veale returns to anchor the MVNU outfield in centerfield after batting .276 with 31 RBI and 45 runs scored last year despite battling an injury all year. Sophomore Steve Williams will move from right field to left field after batting .323 with 11 doubles and 33 RBI in his first college season. Freshman Chaz Gibson will look to start the year in right field after hitting .467 as a senior at Fairfield Union High School. Turner will also be in the playing mix in either left or right field after hitting .292 as a junior, while Jeff Estep along with freshmen Christian Gomes and Jesse Ebert will add depth in the outfield. Gomes batted .487 with 32 runs scored at Urbana High School, and Ebert hit .516 with 36 runs scored at Wynford High School.

"Kodi finished last year with a strong postseason,” said Veale. "He provides leadership in the outfield as well as being an offensive catalyst from the left side in our lineup. We’re going to move Steve to left field where he feels more comfortable. He had a solid freshman season with lots of game experience. He is a tough out at the plate and will keep improving. Chaz brings some more athleticism to the outfield. He is a focused and aggressive player with the skills to hit most anywhere in our lineup.”

The Cougars were slated to get their schedule under way in Kentucky on February 20-21 with four games including a contest at Campbellsville (Ky.) University, which received votes in the NAIA preseason poll, but the games were canceled due to the weather. MVNU is scheduled to play its home opener on March 3 with a non-conference doubleheader against Ohio State University-Mansfield. Then, the team will play four AMC doubleheaders before heading south on the team’s annual spring trip - this year to Winter Haven, Fla.

After 15 games down south including a doubleheader against NAIA No. 5 Spring Arbor (Mich.) University to open the trip and a single game at No. 21 Warner (Fla.) University, the Cougars will return north to jump into the thick of the AMC schedule. No. 22 Ohio Dominican University is the preseason conference favorite, while Malone University and the Cougars both received votes in the preseason poll. This year’s conference schedule will feature a four-game series against each of the eight other schools with the top four teams in the conference standings advancing to the AMC Tournament.

"Changing our spring trip destination to Winter Haven was basically dictated by finding teams to play,” Veale said. "I think we will once again have a very demanding spring trip with seven games against Florida schools and a doubleheader against nationally-ranked Spring Arbor. The competition will be challenging as well as the demands of playing lots of games in a few days. As a program, we have always met the challenge and view the trip as a critical piece to our development as a team.”

"The biggest change with this year’s schedule involves playing all the teams in the conference in a four-game series,” Veale continued. "That has forced a couple of things. First, we know have very few non-conference games. Secondly, we are starting the season and conference play much earlier. Starting conference play in March has caused us to change our indoor preparation to accommodate it. Getting in a few games before we play conference games was the motivating factor in scheduling the trip to Kentucky so that we could get some early feedback.”

"Our consistent goal is to play in the NAIA postseason,” said Veale, who has accomplished that feat in 18 of his previous 19 seasons with the Cougars. "We know that once a team gets there anything can happen. With this year’s direct qualification plan, the goal is to play in the NAIA National Tournament. If we get there, we will have new goals.”