GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The 2012 season will present a youth movement of sorts for the Gettysburg College baseball team.

Of the 31 players dotting the roster, all but seven are freshmen or sophomores, and the opening-day lineup could include as many six first- or second-year players.

However, Head Coach John Campo is excited about the prospects for his current Bullets, who finished second in the Centennial Conference (CC) in team pitching (4.18 ERA) a year ago.

“I'm impressed with the overall athleticism of this team,” said Campo, who enters his 26th year at the helm and is the program's all-time leader in victories (432). “We want to keep our pitching and defense strong, but we need to find ways to be more productive offensively.”

In the Centennial Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, the Bullets were picked to finish ninth after last year's 12-23 season. However, that record is deceiving, as the team lost 10 one-run games.

Returning to front the pitching staff is one of the top hurlers in the Centennial Conference, junior Ryan Taylor. An All-CC First Team selection, the southpaw finished 5-4 with 2.42 ERA, 74 strikeouts, and just 10 walks over 10 starts and 74 1/3 innings. In Centennial Conference action he was even better, going 3-2 with a 1.43 ERA, 52 strikeouts, and four walks in five starts and 44 innings.

“I think he's looking to duplicate the kind of year that he had last year and build on it,” said Taylor. “He's got a lot of things going for him and I think when he's right, he's not just an all-conference type pitcher but also an all-region and possible All-American type of player.”

Taylor will be joined in the starting rotation by junior John Donovan, junior Brett Norton, and sophomore Drew Felsenthal. Donovan finished 1-3 with a 4.91 ERA last season in seven appearances and six starts while Norton was 1-5 with a 4.03 ERA over 11 games and four starts.

Other returning pitchers who could add middle-staff depth include senior Mike Odierna and sophomores Joe Saladino, Rob Stalzer, and Chris Yoda. One of the team's hardest throwers, Odierna appeared in five games last season and struck out seven in six innings pitched. Stalzer made four appearances at the varsity level while Yoda pitched in two games, striking out nine in 5 2/3 innings.

The freshman class could also contribute on the mound, with Eric Hungerford leading the way. Rookies Kyle Beldoch, Brett Harrington, and lefty Alex Indelicato will also look to make an impact.

The other end of the battery will likely be filled by sophomore Cam MacDonald, who started 21 times last season and threw out six out of 23 base stealers. Sophomores Dan Budin and Zach Parsons as well as freshman Chris Fassnacht could also see time behind the plate.

In the infield, the corner spots seem to be solidified while the middle infield is yet to be determined.

At first base, senior Clint O'Brien settles in after playing multiple positions over the last three years. He drove in 16 runs and knocked three doubles, three triples, and a home run in 2011 while appearing at both corner infield spots as well as all three outfield positions.

Sophomore Ben Roessle provides the team with a capable backup at first while Budin can also fill in at the position.

Up the middle, the Bullets face the challenge of replacing both their starting second baseman and shortstop, and freshman Cory Karagjozi, freshman Scott Zanghellini, and sophomore Alex Freeman appear to be the front-runners at short. Freeman is also a candidate to take over at second, where he was the backup last season and played in five games, as is classmate Austin Davis, who started three games early in the year before suffering a season-ending injury. Karagjozi or Zanghellini could also appear at second as well as sophomore Andrew Hollis, who started 11 games at third base last season.

Third base is in good hands with the return of sophomore Nate Simon, who split his time at the corner infield positions last year. A left-handed batter, he finished as the team's second-leading hitter at .327 and posted 12 RBIs, three doubles, and a triple. Roessle could also see time at the hot corner.

A pair of sophomores and a senior are set to provide the Bullets with a solid outfield. Senior Drew Roy, one of the team's most experienced players, is poised to take over in left. After starting in the outfield as a freshman and sophomore, Roy was shifted to the mound for most of last season before returning to leftfield at the end of the year. For his career, he has batted .290 to go with 46 runs, 44 RBIs, and 78 hits, including nine doubles, six triples, and three home runs over 76 starts.

Gettysburg brings back its starting centerfielder in sophomore Patrick O'Grady. An outstanding defensive player, O'Grady also hit .286 while making 34 starts. He scored 16 runs, collected 15 RBIs, and went 6-for-7 on the basepaths.

In rightfield, sophomore Al Posch is the projected starter after transferring from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he started 30 games for the Engineers a year ago.

A number of additional Bullets could also see playing time in the outfield. Junior Pat Cody will bat fourth in the lineup and will likely serve as the team's designated hitter, but could also appear at either corner outfield spot. He hit .317 to finish third on the team in batting last season. Sophomore Mike Elisio could also play a corner outfield position or see time at designated hitter.

Freshmen Ryan Smith and Bobby Romano will also push for playing time while Parsons is another potential option in the outfield.

The Bullets look to open their season on Tuesday, when they visit Stevenson University at 3 p.m. in a non-league outing.

Centennial Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Johns Hopkins (9), 81 pts.
2. Haverford (1), 67 pts.
3. Franklin & Marshall, 63 pts.
4. Swarthmore, 53 pts.
5. Washington College, 51 pts.
6. Ursinus, 48 pts.
7. Dickinson, 35 pts.
8. Muhlenberg, 23 pts.
9. Gettysburg, 20 pts.
10. McDaniel, 11 pts.

First-place votes in parentheses