SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team begins the 2013 regular season this weekend with prominent positions on two esteemed preseason polls.

SU, ranked No. 14 in the D2BaseballNews.com preseason poll and just one spot shy of a national ranking in the Collegiate Bulletin Newspaper poll, will travel for a three-game set at Barton (2-3).

Shippensburg finished up the 2012 campaign with a 32-21 record – an improvement of eight wins from 2011 – while earning the No. 5 ranking in the NCAA Atlantic Region poll at the conclusion of the conference tournament. The Raiders would have competed in the NCAA Tournament if not for Shepherd (WVIAC) and Winston-Salem State (CIAA) earning automatic berths as a result of their respective conference championships.

SU was also the Eastern Division No. 2 seed in the 2012 PSAC Tournament and was one of the final four teams remaining in contention before being eliminated. Among the many achievements of last year's squad was its significant improvement in ERA by nearly two-and-a-half runs from 2011 (6.79) to 2012 (4.44).

The Raiders will once again be led by head coach Matt Jones, who achieved his 300th career coaching victory last season. Through 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Jones has posted a career record of 306-291-2, with 158 of those wins coming in an SU uniform over the last six years.

Thirteen newcomers enter the fray this season, with several of them ready to make an immediate impact. The team began to jell in the fall and has built its chemistry along the way.

“This was one of the more enjoyable fall seasons that we have had in a while. We played well, we competed well and we trained well," Jones said. "I was apprehensive going into it because I really didn't know how our chemistry would be, but it didn't take long to see that the returning players did a real good job of opening up to the newcomers and helped make everyone feel at home.”

Sixteen players return from last year's squad. Among the key hitters include three-time All-PSAC outfielder Cody Kulp and 2012 All-PSAC First Team catcher Tyler Shover. Junior Pat Kregeloh, a two-time All-PSAC pick, will play a major role both on the mound and at a corner infield spot when he is not pitching.

Among the key arms that return include Tom Bush, who thrived over the summer and earned a spot on the National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series All-American Team, and junior Shawn Patterson.

“In January, the guys continued to build on the momentum that we established in the fall,” Jones said. “I thought the best part of the fall was the way the guys competed. Not just on the field, but in our workouts and throughout our Raider Challenge. They competed and pushed each other. It was fun to watch.”

Pitching

Shippensburg loses its two leaders in innings pitched from a season ago (Nick Umberger and Jimmy Miller), but Umberger remains with the team as an assistant coach who will work closely with the pitchers.

In terms of starters, senior Tom Bush and junior Shawn Patterson return along with junior Pat Kregeloh. That trio helped stabilized SU's rotation last year and will be counted on for significant innings this season. Bush, who played with Kregeloh this summer, was named to the 2012 National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series All-American Team for his strong play.

Sophomore Nick Massetti is looking for a breakout and is in the mix for a role as a primary starter. Senior Josh Scott also returns and is capable of starting or relieving. Fellow senior David McKolosky can handle some left-handed relief duty. Junior Dan Wimer and sophomore Cody Ezolt are possibilities on the mound as well.

“We are really happy with where our staff is right now,” Jones said during the preseason. “They all came back in good shape and were ready to go on January 10 when we started practice. There should be good competition for the fourth starter and mid-week duties.”

Another of the key returners is junior Austin Bartley, who came one appearance (22) shy of tying the single-season school record last season. Bartley's role is especially important given the graduation of Kody Kibler, who finished up as SU's single-season (nine) and career (17) leader for saves.

“We think the bullpen will be ready to go,” Jones said. “With the depth we have, we should be able to use everyone and really go with matchups more so than in the past. We will rely on Bartley for sure, but some of the other guys will be right there with him to hopefully finish off some wins for us.”

Several newcomers join the fray as well. Richie Michaud was an all-conference shortstop at Spring-Ford High School but is in contention for a starting role with the Raiders. Marcus Shippey is a hard-throwing freshman from Bedford High School with the potential for an immediate impact. Derek Russell and DJ Kinna are two more right-handed freshmen hoping to play a role. Kevin Richter is a sophomore transfer from Frederick Community College. Southpaw Kyle McClintock also enters the mix.

“I feel like we have good depth on the mound and we have confidence in all of them,” Jones said. “We are really excited about some of the young guys and are happy with their progress as well. Coach Umberger has stepped into his instructional role with the pitchers and is doing a great job.”

Catching

Senior Tyler Shover earned All-PSAC Eastern Division honors after hitting .296 in 50 games with 27 RBIs, eight stolen bases, a .396 on-base percentage and a .970 fielding percentage. This summer, Shover played for the Peninsula (Va.) Pilots in the Coastal Plain League and was selected to a list of the league's top prospects by scouting web site Perfect Game.

Junior Kyle Hollingsworth returned to the Raiders in 2012 and served primarily as a designated hitter. Hollingsworth played in 31 games, batting .269 with 13 RBIs and just eight strikeouts in 78 at-bats. In 2010, his freshman season, Hollingsworth served as both a catcher and a pitcher.

Infield

Veterans Ben Miller and Jimmy Miller are gone, but SU's infield has the makings of a very strong unit.

Leading the crop of returning players is Pat Kregeloh, who is expected to man a corner spot when he is not pitching but could also wind up in the outfield. The two-time All-PSAC performer was also voted the eighth-best prospect in the MINK league in which he played over the summer, representing the Nevada (Mo.) Griffons. Kregeloh batted .286 while driving in 27 runs to go along with four home runs last season for Shippensburg.

“Pat is a really versatile player who will definitely be a big part of our season," Jones said. “He can play corner infield and even the outfield as he did this summer. We expect him to be a leader on the mound as a starter and also a middle of the lineup hitter.”

Sophomore Jimmy Spanos stepped right in as the every-day starter at second base last season and is expected to be a key factor once again. Spanos led SU in at-bats last season (189), tallied 13 extra-base hits and had 18 RBIs in his role as a top-of-the-order hitter.

Senior Simon Beloff led the Raiders a season ago in slugging (.522), swatting a team-high eight home runs and recording a team-high 43 RBIs. Beloff manned a corner outfield spot last year for the majority of his appearances but could see time at first base this season. Sophomore Cody Ezolt appeared in 22 games last season with the Raiders and has also shown promise at first base.

Another junior, Dan Wimer, made an impact as a designated hitter and pinch hitter at the end of last season and his bat will likely get a lot more swings this season. Wimer is capable of playing first base if he is not serving as a designated hitter.

Several newcomers also hope to make an immediate impact. Among them is junior Cal Hogan, a transfer from Frederick Community College who brings an outstanding defensive mindset to the left side of the infield. Freshman Mike Marcinko had a productive fall and can play throughout the infield. Fellow newcomers Austin Redman and Richie Michaud also hope to play a role.

Outfield

SU loses a key Gold Glove outfielder in Eric Herman but has a significant amount of talent returning to fill three positions.

Senior Cody Kulp returned from injury last season to earn his third All-PSAC Eastern Division classification, finishing the year with a team-best .304 batting average along with 22 extra-base hits, 32 RBIs, 41 runs and a .392 on-base percentage. The All-Region Gold Glove recipient also committed just two errors and had five outfield assists.

Junior Mike Douglas is a transfer from Pitt who is expected to make an immediate impact for the Raiders. A veteran of 53 games with the Panthers, Douglas is expected to be a regular atop the lineup and in the outfield. Senior Simon Beloff and junior Pat Kregeloh could also play either corner outfield position.

Senior David McKolosky appeared in 33 games last season; his defense is especially valuable. He is a veteran of 61 career games excluding his pitching appearances. Sophomore Bobby Atwell appeared in 16 games last season and hopes to expand his role this year.

Other hopefuls for playing time are sophomores Austin Allison and Trent Bond.

“The chemistry is good and certain guys just lead in different situations,” Jones said of his 2013 squad. “We have some returning players who have stepped up and we are hoping that continues. But even the new guys are comfortable enough to step up and lead as well.”