Baseball | 2/19/2016 5:44:00 PM

FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Head coach Phil Caruso and the 2016 Fairmont State baseball team will open up a new era of Falcon baseball this weekend in Atlanta, Ga.
 
The season will get underway with a double header against Clark Atlanta on Friday evening, starting at 5 p.m. The Falcons will remain in Atlanta on Saturday for a pair of games against Vorhees starting at 1 p.m.
 
Below is a breakdown of the 2016 Baseball team, by position.
 
Outfield
Returners: Josh Wine, Alex Levitan, Jacob Whitmore, Tyler Gross
Newcomers: Austin Norman, Frazer Brown, Cole Smith, Greg Yaksich, Brent Parrish
 
Position Preview
The Falcons return three starters from last year's team and have brought in a mix of transfers and first-year players in the field. Josh Wine is one of the top outfielders in the league, batting .319 with a home run and 15 RBI last season. Wine had a .370 slugging percentage and .464 on-base percentage for the Falcons. Levitan also batted over .300 last season with one home run and a team-high 21 RBI and Marshall transfer Austin Norman and Potomac State transfer Frazer Brown are expected to add power and gap-to-gap hitting into Fairmont's lineup.
 
Infield
Returners: Adam Meeker, Maverick Keller, Phil Longnecker, Dorian Hetzel, Tyler Krantz
Newcomers: Ted Sova, Brooks Carr, Houston Morris
 
Position Preview
Adam Meeker is penciled in as the starter at shortstop for the Falcons, coming off a 2015 season where he hit .257 with six doubles and 17 runs batted-in. Returning starter Maverick Keller and junior college transfer Ted Sova are expected to split time at second base this season.
 
On the corners, the Falcons are expecting Dorian Hetzel and Tyler Krantz to cover duties at third base and seniors Nic Rush and Jacob Whitmore return at first base.
 
Dorian Hetzel was the starter at third base for much of last season, batting .245 with two home runs and six runs batted-in. Hetzel had a .429 slugging percentage. At first base, Nic Rush batted .223 but was the top power-hitter for FSU, hitting a team-high three home runs. Jacob Whitmore saw limited action at first base last season but started as the designated hitter most of the season. Whitmore batted .264 with 13 RBI and a .296 slugging percentage.
 
Senior Phil Longnecker is versatile enough to play every infield position and Brooks Carr and Houston Morris are first-year players that are expected to add power to the FSU lineup for the next four years.
 
Pitching Staff
Returners: Tyler Holt, Nick Opferman, Nic Rush, Austin Ransom
Newcomers: Marty Bonifant, Logan Johnson, Tom Fortman, Michael Stout, Zach Burch, Ryan French, Mark McKee, Addison Barber, Luke Wallace
 
Position Preview
The Falcons return four pitchers with starting experience from a season ago and added four transfers and four incoming freshman for this season. The final starting rotation and bullpen spots are expected to be sorted out during the early portion of the season.
 
Catchers
Returners: Scott Hessler, Sam Orr
Newcomers: Tyler Hill, Collin Conrad, Alex Levitan
 
Position Preview
Scott Hessler and Sam Orr return behind the plate for the Falcons from a season ago. Hessler batted .302 and Sam Orr batted .240, splitting time last season. The Falcons also added Tyler Hill, an all-district and all-state catcher from Fairfield Union High School, and Collin Conrad to the roster during the summer to add depth to the position.
 
Team Overview
"Our staff believes the pieces are in place for a successful first season here in Fairmont. We have noticed marked improvements in both hitting and defense this fall and early spring."