New faces will abound as Whitworth College opens the 2007 baseball season. Of the 31 players on this year’s roster, 18 of them are new players. That group of incoming players is an equal mixture of nine freshmen and nine transfers.

In addition, the Pirates will have only three of nine regular starters back, and only one of three starting pitchers. So there are many positions for the newcomers to fill throughout the field.

Yet Whitworth head coach Keith Ward, in his tenth season as skipper of the Pirates, believes he has the leadership and talent to challenge for the top of the Northwest Conference standings.

"We have leadership from both the returners and the new players," said Ward. "Brandon Zimmerman, and Ryne Webb are providing more leadership in their second year here, while our four year guys such as Van Lierman, Joel Tampien, and Joel Clark are also being leaders in different ways. New recruit Dan Ramsay might be the best team leader we've had in sometime."

Since leadership does not seem to be a question on a roster full of new players, Ward can focus on fitting the right pieces into the right positions to give the Bucs the best chance of winning any given game.

The puzzle always begins with pitching. Whitworth welcomes back a pair of key participants from 2006. Brandon Zimmerman (Sr., RHP, Spokane, Wash.) was 8-3 as a starter for the Bucs last season. He led the team in total innings pitched. Jason Weatherman (Jr., RHP, Chino, Calif.) was named Second Team All-NWC last season as a reliever after posting a 2.53 ERA in 14 appearances, and could move into a starting role this season. James Nelson (Jr., LHP, Port Orchard, Wash.) and Jordan Farkas (Jr., RHP, Anchorage, Alaska) made 13 and 12 relief appearances in 2006, respectively, and will be key parts of the staff again this season. John Hauck (So., LHP, Spokane, Wash.) and Cory Cooper (So., RHP, Medical Lake, Wash.) also have a year’s experience on the mound.

Ryan Snell (Jr., RHP, Issaquah, Wash.) and Chad Flett (Jr., RHP, Spokane, Wash.) each have community college experience as incoming transfers, as does Brent Flyberg (So., RHP, Mountlake Terrace, Wash.). Stephen Baranowski (Fr., RHP, Camas, Wash.) and Michael Cozad (Fr., RHP, Bellingham, Wash.) are incoming freshmen.

Joel Tampien (Jr., C, Tekoa, Wash.) appeared in nine games last season and is the only returning Pirate with experience behind the plate. However, Whitworth will have incoming transfer Dan Ramsey (So., C, Spokane, Wash.) who played one season and redshirted one season at Gonzaga the previous two years. Mike Anderson (Fr., C, Vashon Island, Wash.) gives the Pirates depth behind the plate.

First base presents a similar situation as catcher. Scott Wagstaff (Jr., IF, Spokane, Wash.) appeared in ten games last season, but he will be challenged for playing time by transfer Ryan Snell, when Snell is not pitching.

Second base appears to be a battle between incoming transfer Jon Whiteside (Jr., IF, Yakima, Wash.), who started last season for CC of Spokane, and freshman Scott Ward (IF, Spokane, Wash.), who was an All-GSL selection for Ferris High School. Ryne Webb (Sr., IF, Spokane, Wash.), who batted .305 last season, returns to start at short stop and will likely be backed up by Kyle Richardson (Fr., IF, Olympia, Wash.). Alex Scarpelli (Jr., IF, Spokane, Wash.) and Jared Loveland (Fr., IF, Camas, Wash.) are competing for time at third base. Whiteside could also see time at third.

Two thirds of last season’s starting outfield is back. Van Lierman (Sr., OF, Bothell, Wash.) batted .338 while starting nearly all of last season in left field. Joel Clark (Sr., OF, Spokane, Wash.) started most of last season in centerfield. Incoming transfer Mitch Ramsey (So., OF, Spokane, Wash.) has experience at Blue Mountain College and the inside track for starting in right field.

Nate Rodland (Jr., OF, Kirkland, Wash.), Corey Anderson (So., OF, Spokane, Wash.), Mitch Nelson (Fr., OF, Wenatchee, Wash.), Dan Belet (Fr., OF, Missoula, Mont.) and J.J. Jones (Jr., OF, Moses Lake, Wash.) will provide depth and challenge for playing time in the outfield. Jones has not played since high school.

Despite the abundance of new names, Ward believes his team has the tools to challenge for the NWC title. The Bucs were in the hunt last season until a series of one-run losses dropped the team in the standings.

"The one run games that we lost the last three weeks of last spring killed us," said Ward. "We need to win those games and we need to play much better at home. Lastly, we need to believe that we can win the championship. We've done more team building then we've ever done before and I think these players and coaches believe and trust in each other."

Whitworth opens the 2007 season on February 17-18 with a pair of games each against NAIA powers Albertson College and Lewis-Clark State at LCSC in Lewiston, Idaho. The following weekend Whitworth will play a tournament in Arizona, which will include NCAA regional power Trinity (Texas). Then Northwest Conference play will open with a home series against Pacific University on March 3-4.

Whitworth is picked fourth in the 2007 preseason NWC Coaches Poll, behind defending champion George Fox, Pacific Lutheran and Linfield.