Despite the departure of a school-record four Major League Baseball draftees from last season's 33-21 club, Appalachian State University baseball returns a wealth of talent to the diamond for the 2010 campaign, which begins this weekend with the Marriott Classic in Spartanburg, S.C. Appalachian opens the season on Friday at 4 p.m. versus Presbyterian and takes on the host, USC Upstate, on Saturday at 1 p.m. Both games will be played at USCU's Harley Park. Friday's season opener can be heard live locally on WATA 1450 AM and worldwide at GoASU.com.

Head coach Chris Pollard's Mountaineers are in search of the program's fourth-straight 30-win season after ASU went 20 years without reaching the 30-victory plateau. However, for the second year in a row, Pollard must reload a roster that was ravaged by the MLB Draft.

Last year, the Apps were able to rebound from the loss of three 2008 draftees (outfielders David Rubinstein and Jason Rook and pitcher Garrett Sherrill) to not only put together another 30-win season but also post the program's most Southern Conference victories (15) since 1986. To continue its winning ways, ASU must now overcome the loss of the school-record four players that were selected in the 2009 MLB Draft (all-America closer Zach Quate, third baseman Isaac Harrow, center fielder Rand Smith and starting pitcher Josh Dowdy). Appalachian must also fill voids left by starting pitcher Aubrey Edens, shortstop Nick DeRose and left-handed relief specialist Nick Daniels, all of whom graduated following last season.

Despite the losses, the cupboard certainly isn't bare for the Mountaineers, who return six starting position players and two starting pitchers from last year's club.

POSITION PLAYERS
Preseason all-America second baseman Wes Hobson headlines the six players returning to Appalachian's starting lineup this season. Hobson, who hit .380 with 23 doubles, nine home runs and 60 RBI in 2009, is on pace to shatter the majority of Appalachian's career offensive records as a senior in '10, including the standards for hits (260), runs (165), doubles (65), RBI (201) and total bases (421) set by Harrow just last year.

Hobson, who has started 129-consecutive games at second base, is ranked among the top five second baseman in the nation by Ping!Baseball and was tabbed as a third-team preseason all-American by Ping! and Collegiate Baseball newspaper.

The other mainstay in ASU's lineup is senior David Towarnicky, a .304 career hitter who sports one of the Southern Conference's top gloves at first base and one of the nation's sharpest student-athlete minds. Towarnicky, who joins Hobson as the Mountaineers' lone preseason all-conference selections, set career highs for batting average (.328), hits (64) and doubles (12) a season ago.

Off the field, Towarnicky is just two semesters shy of graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average as a double-major in banking and finance and risk insurance management and an international business minor. The 2009 third-team Academic All-American is one of only 30 candidates for the prestigious Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes student-athletes for their character and achievements on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

While the right side of the infield is loaded with experience and talent, relative newcomers will be called upon to replace Harrow and DeRose on the left side.

Sophomore Ryan Arrowood, who made 20 starts as a right fielder/designated hitter/first baseman last season, gets the nod at third base while sophomore Doug Jones, who was ASU's starting shortstop before losing the job to DeRose last season, will likely get the starting assignment for the second year in a row. However, true freshman Hector Crespo has impressed the coaching staff throughout the fall and winter and could see significant playing time both by pushing Jones at shortstop or making starts at third when Arrowood, a projected member of the Mountaineers' starting pitching rotation, is on the mound. Sophomore Zack Briggs could also see a lot of innings in the infield.

Appalachian also returns two starters in the outfield in left fielder Chris Alessandria and right fielder Jason Wallace. Alessandria can provide power to the ASU lineup, as the 5-10, 180-pounder hit eight home runs and drove in 51 runs a season ago. Wallace can also bring pop from his corner outfield position, as proven by the four home runs he hit in limited duty as a freshman in 2008, but will have to improve on his relatively feeble power numbers from a season ago (no home runs and 15 RBI in 139 at-bats).

Replacing the huge shoes left by Smith in center field will likely fall to true freshman Tyler Zupcic to open the season but Ryan Stetson, another true freshman from Charlotte, could also push for significant playing time in the outfield, as will sophomore Will Helms.

Senior Jerod Faggart and sophomore Jeremy Dowdy will share the majority of the duties behind the plate and at designated hitter. Dowdy, one of the nation's top young defensive catchers, will get the majority of starts behind the dish while Faggart, who is one of the nation's most patient hitters, will also be a constant in the lineup, likely in a leadoff role as the DH. Senior Chris Trappy will provide depth in both roles.

PITCHING STAFF
While Appalachian lost two-thirds of its weekend rotation (Edens and Dowdy)and the best closer in school history (Quate), there are plenty of talented hurlers at Pollard's disposal in '10.

The starting rotation begins with Matt Andress. An all-conference selection as a sophomore in 2008, Andress struggled a bit in '09 but is poised to regain his spot atop the rotation as a senior. He dropped 15 pounds from his 6-4 frame during the offseason and his new physique has helped him regain the form that made him one of the SoCon's top pitchers two seasons ago.

Following Andress in the weekend rotation are right-handers Jordan Jessup and Arrowood. Jessup will hold down the No. 2 spot following an impressive junior-college career at Surry C.C., where he sported a sterling 2.55 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 68.2 innings as a sophomore last year. Arrowood finished last season as the Apps' primary mid-week starter and followed that up by turning in a nearly flawless summer on the mound for the Coastal Plain League's Forest City Owls, going 10-0 with a 1.88 ERA and .204 opponents' batting average en route to being named the league's Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

The top candidate for the primary mid-week role is freshman southpaw Tyler Jackson, a two-time all-state honoree and conference Player of the Year at Starmount H.S. in Boonville, N.C.

In the bullpen, senior Chris Patterson will try to duplicate Quate's nearly flawless season as ASU's closer a year ago (school-record 11 saves, 1.09 ERA, .171 opp. BA). Patterson quietly excelled in his role as Quate's primary setup man last season, surrendering earned runs in just six of his team-high 33 appearances.

The top candidate to fill the setup role vacated by Patterson is Helms. The left-handed sophomore was impressive on the mound as a freshman with a 2-0 record and 3.97 ERA in 10 relief appearances. Sophomore Seth Grant and freshmen Nathan Hyatt and Zach Joyce will also be counted on to provide strong innings out of the bullpen while Jackson could also see an important weekend role as a reliever as long as he remains as a mid-week starter.

SCHEDULE
In addition to its three-straight 30-win seasons, Appalachian has also posted three-consecutive winning records in SoCon play, a feat it had not achieved since the program's heyday in the 1980s. However, ASU has had to overcome disastrous starts in conference play each of the past two years (1-9 in 2008 and 2-10 in 2009), so strong play out of the gates is a primary goal for this year's club.

Once again, that could be a daunting task, as the Mountaineers' first three conference series come against some of the stiffest competition that the ultra-tough SoCon has to offer — Georgia Southern, Western Carolina and The Citadel.

Otherwise, the schedule sets up favorably for the Apps. The non-conference slate features just one game versus an opponent that advanced to NCAA Tournament play a season ago (Marist) but includes a number of challenging tests against quality programs, including Auburn, Wake Forest, East Tennessee State and Ohio.

The 2010 schedule is highlighted by 27 home games at one of the region's finest baseball facilities, Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium. The 27 contests at Smith Stadium — beginning with a three-game series versus Rider March 5-7 — are especially crucial considering that the Mountaineers ride a 16-game home winning streak into 2010.

Ticket information is available by clicking HERE or calling the ASU athletics ticket office at (828) 262-2079.

The 2010 ASU baseball media guide will be available to view online this weekend.