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We are now less than 24 hours until opening day of the 2015 college baseball season, and Dudy Noble Field will be filled with the smell of barbeque and hot dogs in no time.
To get you prepared for what to expect on opening weekend, we will give you some impact players to keep an eye on from the opposing teams. We will do this for every weekend series throughout the season.
Cincinnati
Ian Happ: The junior was named a First Team All-American by Baseball America and Perfect Game, on top of being selected as the preseason conference player of the year. He hit at a .322 clip last season and led his team with a .497 slugging percentage and a .443 on-base percentage. He also hit five home runs. He excelled on the base paths as well, swiping 19 bases in 24 attempts.
Colton Cleary: He enters his redshirt sophomore season as the only returning LHP on the staff. He pitched in 13 games last season and compiled a 3.40 ERA. He had one of the best strikeout to walk ratios on the team. He will be relied on heavily out of the bullpen and late in games, especially against left-handers.
Bryan Chenoweth: A redshirt junior, Chenoweth was one of the few bright spots on an overall average pitching staff last season for Cincinnati. He was strong out of the bullpen with a 2.10 ERA in 12 appearances. Opponents hit just .243 off the right-hander.
Miami of Ohio
Matt Honchel: He comes into his final season ranking 10th on the all-time career hits list at Miami. He hit .305 in 2014 and had a .369 on-base percentage. He was a pretty solid defender as well, only making one error in the outfield.
Ryan Elble: Also a senior, Elble led his team last season with a .317 batting average and .395 on-base percentage. He was second on the team with 35 RBI's, 24 of those coming during conference play. He struggled at shortstop making 11 errors but more than made up for it with his bat.
Ryan Powers: The big 6'5'' senior RHP posted a 9-3 record last year with a 4.25 ERA. He was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He struck out 60 batters and lasted longer than six innings in nine of his starts. He will likely be the Saturday starter against the Bulldogs.
Steve Sada: Sada had a very good freshman season in 2014. He's not very big, only about 5'8'' 160. However, his bat was good enough to earn him 50 starts at second base his first year on campus. He hit .309 for the season and .348 in conference play. Sada was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.