The sun is shining. The crack of bats can be heard echoing across Cardinal Park. And every single face wearing a baseball jersey is smiling and ready to get the season started.”Words can’t even explain it,” said sophomore pitcher Scott McNally. “It’s going to be an awesome year.”

The Bucs are coming off of one of their most successful seasons yet. Last year the Bucs went 32-28 on the year and 15-12 in conference play. Now it’s 2011 and ETSU has been picked to finish third in the standings in the Atlantic Sun pre-season poll.

“I think us being picked third is pretty fair,” said senior first baseman Paul Hoilman. “Gulf Coast has pretty much run the league the last few years . [the poll] shows us some respect, and from there we just go out and show them how we play.”

Hoilman has had quite the off-season. He won two college home-run derbies, one in Rosenblatt Stadium in Nebraska and the other at Fenway Park in Boston.

Hoilman was also drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays, who many think will be in the market soon for a first baseman. According to him though, it would be worth coming back to get his degree and finish his baseball career with the guys he came in with four years ago.

One major issue that all NCAA baseball teams have been adjusting to is the new bat regulations. The NCAA decided earlier this year to make the college teams use bats that are more similar to wooden bats. This will mean fewer home runs for the average player.

“I miss the old ones a little bit,” said Hoilman with a laugh. “But everybody’s using them so the game will still be fair.”

The field that the Bucs play on has undergone some changes of its own during the off-season. Cardinal Park is known for one of the most infamous right fields in the Atlantic Sun. The hill that frustrated teams for years has been leveled, and the billboard has been removed.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Skole. “The field looks great and Cardinal Park will play like a normal field this year . I think our players like it and I know our pitchers like it.”

The season starts tomorrow against Marist College, and junior transfer John Long is slated for the first start of the season.

“I’m really excited,” said Long. “Marist is a good team, but I feel like with our ball club we can pretty much beat anybody. I think we’re just all anxious and ready to play.

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