ROCK HILL SC—Winthrop's baseball program is ready and prepared to take 'The Next Step' as the 2016 season gets underway this weekend when the Eagles host Atlantic 10 Conference foe LaSalle in a four-game series at The Winthrop Ballpark.
 
The season opener is set for 4 p.m. on Friday.  The series will resume on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for 2 p.m. followed by a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. Winthrop owns a 4-0 record against LaSalle, which is coming off a 24-27-1 record a year ago.
 
Season tickets for the 27-home game schedule are available by contacting the Winthrop Ticket Office (803-323-2345), located on the lower level of the Winthrop Coliseum.  A season ticket is priced at $70.  Individual game tickets can be purchased on game day at The Winthrop Ballpark.  They are priced $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for kids and seniors. The ticket window opens one hour before game time.
 
Not since 2006 has the excitement and anticipation about Winthrop baseball been so high entering the season.  That was the last year the Eagles appeared in a NCAA Regional.  The years of waiting to get back to the NCAA tournament could come to an end with this year's squad if they perform up to expectations.
 
"We've got a tough schedule but I believe we have the opportunity to have the best team we've had since I came to Winthrop in 2011," said Coach Tom Riginos. "We bring back a lot of experience and we have solid depth. Our expectations and goals are set high for this season. We want to build upon last year and take our program to the next level."
 
Riginos says this year's team has responded very well to the high expectations. "As a team we have not let outside influences dictate our preparation for the season," he says.  "Preseason accolades are nice, but in all reality they don't mean anything to our team.  This team is focused on the things that we can control."
 
For the first time since 2006, the Eagles are in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's Fabulous 40 preseason ranking at No. 38.  Winthrop has been picked second behind Coastal Carolina in the preseason Big South Conference poll of the league's head coaches, and individual honors are being bestowed on the team with junior left-hander Matt Crohan being voted the Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year and senior catcher Roger Gonzalez recently being listed as the nation's 26^th best catcher in the D1Baseball.com top 50 position rankings.  Other Eagles could be ranked at other positions when the complete list is released.
 
The reasons for the high expectations are easy to understand.  Winthrop is coming off a 40-win season in 2015 and a strong showing in the conference tournament.  The Eagles have a ton of experience and depth at nearly every position, and the starting pitching rotation could very well be the best in the Big South with the return of Crohan and senior southpaw Sam Kmiec leading the way. 
 
The Eagles return eight of their nine position starters .Winthrop batted .299 as a team in 2015 and the majority of that offensive firepower returns, led by first-team All-Big South Conference outfielder Anthony Paulsen. The junior from Columbia, SC, batted .343, second best on last year's club, and was the team leader with 45 runs batted in.
 
Paulsen headlines a group of four returning players who batted above .300 last season, including Gonzalez (.335), first baseman Mark Lowrie (.310), and infielder Tyler Asbill (.302). "I feel good about our ability to swing the bats and generate some offense," said Riginos. "We return right at 75 percent of our offensive production from a year ago and that's something we aim to build upon this season."
 
Riginos believes Paulsen has the skills to rank among the best players in the Big South Conference. "Anthony is coming off a tremendous year and has the ability to take his game up
to an even higher level this season," said Riginos. "I believe he can be the best, if not one of the best offensive players in the conference."
 
Babe Thomas has started 114 of his 117 games at Winthrop and can play both catcher and the outfield. The junior batted .295 a year ago and was tied for the team lead with six home runs. Mitch
Spires had a solid freshman season in 2015, batting .274, and started the majority of the games at second base. Spires will take over third base this season, filling the shoes of graduated Brad Kaczka, who led the team in hitting last year. Kyle Edwards, who started all but one game in 2015 at shortstop and is a three-year starter, batted .255 a year ago, but it is his defensive prowess that impresses his coach.
 
"Kyle very well could be one of the best defensive shortstops in the nation and is certainly one of the best I've ever coached," said Riginos. "He had a pretty solid year at the plate for us last season
and I'm confident he will be an even more productive hitter for us this spring."
 
Riginos says Edwards will also see some action on the mound and could be one of the guys vying the closer's duties this year.
 
The pitching rotation appears to be very strong behind Crohan, who is projected by many scouting services to be among the top prospects in the nation, and Kmiec. Crohan posted a 7-4 record with a 3.05 ERA and 87 strikeouts last season while Kmiec went 6-4 with a 3.69 ERA and a team-high 89 strikeouts.
 
"Matt had a successful summer playing for the Team USA National Team," said Winthrop's coach. "We are counting on him to be one of the leaders of our pitching staff. He has all the tools you're
looking for in a standout pitcher. He's worked hard to put himself in a position to have a dynamic season."

"Sam (Kmiec) has been a real workhorse for us the past three years," said Riginos. "He will continue to be a mainstay in our weekend starting rotation. He is highly respected by his teammates."
 
Riginos is excited to get the season underway this weekend and see how the hard work and preparation during the fall workouts and preseason will pay off.
 
"The preseason has gone very well.  The team came back from the Christmas break in great shape.  When you have an older and mature team like we have, the knowledge of our system is at a high level," says Riginos.  "Our execution on the field has been outstanding and our guys are focused on what they have to do to be successful this season."
 
Now it's time to "Play Ball."