LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates baseball team only played 17 games over the last two years due to the pandemic. Now they're ready for a full 34-game regular season in 2022, and it starts Friday morning with an 11am first pitch against Northern Vermont-Lyndon at the RussMatt Invitational in sunny Florida. 

The Bobcats will play three games in Florida this weekend before heading back north. 

"This is going to be an interesting trip," head coach Jon Martin said on this week's Bates Bobcast. "There's a lot of things that we want to see out of our team and the guys are excited. I know they want to get back on the field. It's been basically two years since we've had a normal season."

Bates is led by a pair of senior captains in shortstop Kevin Lucey (Topsfield, Mass.) and LHP Braden Karess (Boxborough, Mass.). 

"I am excited for them," Martin said. "They are ready to take this team as far as we can go this year. I know that I'm going to rely on them a lot. So are the rest of the guys. And there's no doubt that they have the leadership abilities to help push us forward." 

When it comes to the pitching staff, Martin is excited to experiment with different arms in different roles. Seniors RHP Grant Iuliano (Waltham, Mass.) and LHP Jared Pantalony (Brooklyn, N.Y.) bring the most experience to the table. 

"Grant has improved over his years," Martin said. "He's much more physical. He's got more zip on his fast ball. His slider looks good and he's throwing strikes. Grant does a good job of preparing and getting ready to pitch." 

Pantalony is coming off Tommy John surgery and Martin says he's been throwing the ball very well. 

Meanwhile, junior RHP Teddie Nelson (Marshfield, Mass.) offers a ton of upside but has only pitched two innings for Bates in his collegiate career. 

"Teddie is a big guy (six-foot, six-inches) and pitched last summer in the Valley League in Virginia, which has really good baseball," Martin said. "He did well there so we're looking for him to get it going for us this season." 

Sophomore RHP Luke Linnehan (Hingham, Mass.) led the team in ERA last year and won his collegiate debut with four innings of one-run ball, striking out three in a 6-5 victory over Saint Joseph's College of Maine. 

"Luke has a variety of pitches he can locate in the strike zone," Martin said. "He changes speeds well, is athletic on the mound, and has a really good baseball I.Q." 

Martin singled out first-year LHP Micah Sheats (Niwot, Colo.) as someone fans should be excited about this year.

"He's calm and collected on the mound," Martin said of Sheats. "He's got great stuff. His fastball has got natural sink and has a little velocity at the tail end of it. He's got a good breaking ball. I think he's got a big upside." 

At the plate, the Bobcats have a number of returnees who will be competing for spots in the starting lineup. In the infield, senior first baseman Bryan Gotti (Westwood, Mass.) returns as a power-hitting left-handed bat. The Bobcats also have a strong right-handed hitting first baseman in junior Alex Ross (Ridgefield, Conn.), giving them a platoon advantage at the position if needed.

At the other corner, junior Henry Jamieson (St. Simons Island, Ga.) provides solid power and has the potential to make a big impact this season. 

In the outfield, junior Tyler Attal (Los Angeles, Calif.) has perhaps the most upside of the returnees on offense. He made his name last year by hitting a home run on the pitch of the season against Saint Joseph's. 

"Physically Tyler has really developed," Martin said. "He's played good summer ball the last couple years, and he's made a big jump. So I'd like to see him do his thing out there this year." 

Devoted Bobcat fans likely remember what senior Antonio Jareno (Marietta, Ga.) did as a first-year in 2019, homering against Trinity and playing a key role in the team's 9-3 season in NESCAC play. His ability to play anywhere in the field is what makes him one of the team's most valuable players.

"He doesn't care where he plays," Martin said. "He just wants to strap it on and get after it. So I love his attitude and what he brings to the field every day." 

The Bobcats will compete in the NESCAC East Division for a spot in the now expanded NESCAC Championships, with the conference opener set for Friday, April 1 at Trinity. 

"We have a big roster and that's a good thing, everybody will have a role, everybody will contribute," Martin said. "Whether they're on the field or not, even the guy that's in the bullpen catching. Even the guy that warms up the right fielder every day. Those are important jobs. If everybody does their job well, we'll be just fine."