OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 30, 2019) – When Oklahoma Christian finished the 2018 baseball season with a 22-27 record, it marked the first time in a quarter-century as a head coach that one of Lonny Cobble's teams had a losing record. As you might imagine, that didn't sit well with him.

The competitive Cobble wants to get the Eagles back into contention for the Heartland Conference title, but he knows it won't happen overnight. The challenge for him and his staff this season will be to develop a young, relatively inexperienced group of players in time for the Eagles to be ready for the rigors of Heartland play.

Starting with the season opener on Friday at 10 a.m. against Pittsburg State (Kan.) at Central Oklahoma's Wendell Simmons Field, every game will be a critical piece of the Eagles' reconstruction project.

"We could take it on the chin in early games, but hopefully we can learn after two or three weeks," Cobble said. "Our coaching staff is going to have to learn, too, which lineups will work in what situations. We've got lots of options, and that's good. It's probably as tight in talent from position to position as I've ever had. It's a very talented group, but we've got a lot to learn."

The one area of the OC squad that has considerable experience is the pitching staff, and pitching coach Chance Stevens said his group has "embraced" the challenge of being the anchor for a young team.

Three of the Eagles' starting pitchers from last season – junior Gabe Rodery, senior Connor Litterell and sophomore Robbie Suhr, who combined for 34 starts – will be a part of the rotation, along with fifth-year senior Zachary Pape, who Stevens said has made a huge leap during the offseason. Newcomer Brent McDonald, a transfer from Riverside (Calif.) College, could bolster the rotation once he's at full strength.

The rotation order for Heartland play will be determined after the first couple of weeks – during which the Eagles will play seven nonconference games – to "see which guy fits best in what role," Cobble said.

Senior Jared Price, who sat out last season with an injury, is slated to anchor the bullpen as the closer, and there are four other experienced hands back in left-handed senior Michael Basler, junior Conner Fryrear and sophomores Julien Ly and Jake Tomcheck.

But as with the rest of the team, there are plenty of newcomers on the pitching staff, too, including juniors Korey Gillespie and Caleb Pape, sophomores McDonald, Hayden Barber, Chase Berberich and Noah Bates and freshmen Casey Minchey and Andrew Ellis.

Cobble and Stevens envision an ideal setup in which the starter pitches six innings before turning it over to the bullpen, which they hope includes specialists for the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

"We went back and looked at the year we won 38 games (2014) and we had a seven-eight-nine setup," Stevens said. "We had some success with that."

Offensively, the Eagles could theoretically field lineups with nine right-handed or nine left-handed hitters, allowing Cobble the ability to match up against opposing pitchers. That will be particularly important, he said, as the Eagles frequently will need to manufacture runs.

"It's a very talented group but it's not a power-hitting group," Cobble said. "We're really fast. They will need to buy into the philosophy that we're not going to slug with people, but a ground ball that scores a run in the first inning is just as important as a basehit in the ninth that scores a run. We have to do that type of stuff."

OC's best returning player is junior center fielder Hunter Markwardt, who made the preseason All-Heartland and All-South Central Region honor squads after hitting .351 last season and stealing 15 bases as the Eagles' leadoff batter.

Elsewhere in the outfield, junior Austin Stokes and freshman Blake Empkey will share time in right field, while a pair of veterans, Ly and Drew Wright, will do the same in left field. Freshman Grayson Swanson and sophomore Mike Mitchell could see time as well.

At first base, senior Alex Garcia will share time with Abe Spencer – a converted pitcher who's also quite a hitter – and junior Errett Edwards. Minchey, when he's not pitching, also could see time there in order to get his bat into the lineup.

Senior Callen Crockett, freshman Kevin Collyar and junior Austin McCain will compete at second base, with Oregon junior-college transfer Berry Hunt, sophomore Alex Hansen and freshman Grant Lake manning shortstop. Senior Garrett Wages, who hit .313 last season and was a preseason All-Heartland pick, will start at third, with Edwards also in the mix.

OC's catching staff is completely new, with freshman Brendon Bavester and another Oregon juco product, Brayden Bafaro. They'll be mentored by new assistant coach Mickey Tettleton, a 12-year Major League Baseball veteran who spent much of his big-league career behind the plate.

"Our youth and inexperience doesn't make a great recipe for early success," Cobble said. "I think our goal is to play a lot of guys early and let them get that learning curve over with. We could have four freshmen in our lineup at one time, which is never the best thing possible. But if those guys can learn early … and not continue to make the same mistakes over and over, they'll have some success after a few weeks.

"If we can get better every week, by the time conference starts, we'll give ourselves a chance."