Forget those "pitchers and catchers report" bulletins coming out of big-league baseball camps. Everybody has reported for Morehead State University. The Eagles open their season with a three-day tournament at Jackson, Miss., this weekend. MSU will face Jacksonville on Friday, play a doubleheader against host Jackson State and Jacksonville on Saturday, then wind up with a Sunday game against Jackson State. The Eagles will tack on a game Tuesday, visiting Southeastern Conference foe Mississippi State. Live audio and live stats will be available for all games. "We're going down to this tournament to win it. We're going to Mississippi State to win," junior first baseman Tyler Niemann said. "We don't have any other expectations, just to go out there. It will finally be good to play someone other than ourselves and go out there and have fun doing what we love." Morehead State went 32-27 last year, 17-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference, in compiling back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time in program history. The Eagles are picked No. 5 in the OVC preseason poll, but they expect much more. "Thirty wins is always nice, but that's not the true goal," senior center fielder Ryan Kent said. "The true goal is to win the OVC and get to a regional, and I think we have a great shot of doing that this year." Coach Mike McGuire agrees. MSU got a taste of NCAA play two years ago, and the aim is to return. He may have the tools to do so as eight starters return, including preseason All-OVC picks Reid Leonard and Will Schneider. The returning starters are: Hunter Fain behind the plate; Niemann at first; Braxton Morris at second; Leonard at shortstop; Niko Hulsizer in left; Kent in center, and Schneider in right. Eli Boggess and Jake Hammon will see time at third base, while Trevor Snyder is the expected DH. There's plenty of backup, too. Mike Patrick provides a right-handed power bat and can fill in at DH or in the outfield. Brady Shoupe is a talented catch-and-throw guy who can spell Fain behind the plate. And junior-college transfer Chase Teter is an adept middle infielder. "No. 1, we should be a very good club defensively," McGuire said. "If you look, clubs want to be good defensively up the middle. And I think that Hunter Fain behind the plate, Reid Leonard at shortstop and Braxton Morris at second base, and Ryan Kent (in center), up the middle, that gives us four really good defenders. Not to mention I think we're going to be good on the corner infield spots defensively." But that's not all. "We should be a very good offensive club," McGuire said. "I think we were a good offensive club last year, inconsistent at times. With that maturity and experience, we'll be more consistent and be more productive on a regular basis." Which brings the subject to pitching. Losses include Matt Anderson, Tyler Keele and Patrick McGuff, who all were drafted last June. The cupboard is not bare, though. Left-handed junior Aaron Leasher, who also is drawing attention from big-league scouts, enters this season as the Friday night ace. Last year, he went 5-4 with a 4.57 ERA. He tossed two complete-game shutouts and struck out 107, the third-highest single-season total in program history. Leasher will get the start in Friday's season opener. Saturday, McGuire will go with southpaw senior Curtis Wilson and right-handed junior-college transfer J.C. Hatcher, although it hasn't been decided which opponent they will face. Luke Humphreys, a senior right-hander, will go on Sunday. "We did lose some arms to graduation, but I'm really excited about the guys we've got back and the improvements that they've made," McGuire said. " ... I think we have a lot of good options. Where last year we were inexperienced positionally, this year we're inexperienced is some roles from the pitching staff. "If I had my druthers, I'd rather be young on the mound. At the end of the day, 90-91 (mph) is 90-91, I don't care what year you are. And some of those kids that are young have really good arms and bright futures." Cable Wright, a left-handed senior from Bath County, is McGuire's bullpen ace. Already holding school records for single-season (33) and career (88) appearances, he went 6-0 last year with a 2.23 ERA. He struck out 40 in 36.1 innings. And he thinks he's better now than he was a year ago. "I feel like I am. Just in better shape, another year of workouts," he said. "Another year of facing college hitters in the fall - our players, which we have good hitters. It's just going to be a good year." Another veteran is junior right-hander David Calderon, whom McGuire says has "got an electric arm." Younger pitchers include Dalton Stambaugh, a left-handed redshirt freshman. Then there are four true-freshman righties - Dom Masullo, Jake Ziegelmeyer, Alex Garbrick and John Hurayt III. "They're going to get their feet wet and they're going to get thrown in the fire," McGuire said. "As they develop and learn what they've got to do to get outs at the college level, I think they can have great careers for us. They, all four, have really good arms. Hopefully are future pros down the road." McGuire thinks the Eagles are ready to play. He says he has a "blue-collar group" with good work habits and solid team chemistry. The latter is no small deal, McGuire said, because teammates can spend eight-to-12 hours a day together when they're on the road. The road begins Friday in Mississippi. "It's a tough tournament, a tough opening weekend, but we like the challenge," McGuire said. "We're excited about it and we're going down there to win that tournament. That's why we're going, and we wouldn't go down there with any less expectations." | 
