There will be plenty of new faces and facilities around the 2010 Indiana State University baseball team, but one thing that first-year head coach Rick Heller will like to keep intact was the success on the field during the 2009 season.

Heller, who was hired on August 14, 2009, as the 28th head coach in 114-year history of the program, will take over a program that won 33 games last season and reached as high as 26th in the national rankings. Former head coach Lindsay Meggs resigned on July 14, 2009, to accept the head coaching position at the University of Washington.

"It's been a lot of fun this first semester and so far this spring," said head coach Heller. "I've inherited a great group of guys, both returnees and recruits. Having an entirely new staff can be a challenge, but we have all worked well together. Things have gone extremely well."

Heller had spent the previous 10 seasons as the head coach at Northern Iowa. With the Panthers, Heller earned a Missouri Valley Conference championship in 2001 and the school's only trip to the NCAA Tournament.

A new face in charge of the program will not be the only fresh aspect of the ISU baseball program, as the team will play at the new Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium for the 2010 season. Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium will feature numerous new aspects, including a new Field Turf infield, locker rooms, concession area, seating and press box for all to enjoy.

"It's going to be exciting to play at the new field. We can't wait," said head coach Heller. "To be the coach of the team that opens the new stadium up is pretty special."

Assisting head coach Heller on the field this season will be assistant coaches Tyler Herbst, Brian Smiley and Max Hutson. Herbst, in his second season with ISU, will serve as the Sycamores' pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Both Smiley and Hutson will enter their first seasons with Indiana State, with Smiley primarily working with the team's outfielders and coaching first base during the games, and Hutson assisting the pitching staff.

The Sycamores return five of nine position starters from last season's 33-21 team that finished second in the regular season standings in the Missouri Valley Conference. Three of the four position starters lost were selected in this past summer's Major League Baseball draft, with outfielder Nick Ciolli (10th round - Chicago White Sox), outfielder Brady Shoemaker (19th round - Chicago White Sox) and catcher Bronco Lafrenz (22nd round - Philadelphia Phillies) all leaving ISU to begin their professional careers. Brian Jett (11 home runs, 43 RBI) is the fourth starter lost from last season.

ISU's offensive attack in 2010 will be led by Preseason All-MVC selection Ryan Strausborger and third baseman Luke Fieser. Strausborger started all 54 games in 2009, while hitting .340 with six home runs, 26 RBI and 21 stolen bases. Fieser finished second on the Sycamores with a .351 batting average with two home runs and 31 RBI. Fieser also led ISU with 15 hit-by-pitches.

"We've got a mainstay at third base in Luke Fieser." said head coach Heller. "I feel he's the best all-around third baseman in the league. A guy that hit .351 last year and is a tremendous leader - one of the better leaders I've ever coached.

"Strausborger is extremely fast, maybe the fastest player in the conference, and hit .340 last season. He's going to be the guy that makes us go. He will be our leadoff hitter and, in my opinion, one of the top two or three all-around players in the conference."

Expect several different faces to join Strausborger in the outfield this season, as head coach Heller has several options as to who will fill the other slots. Senior Tyler Graham will likely see time in both the outfield and behind the plate this season after hitting .288 with 14 doubles and 32 RBI last season. Sophomore Kyle Burnam returns after hitting .288 with a team-leading 10 sacrifice hits as a true freshman. A pair of left-handed true freshman, in Robby Ort and Steve Ball, will both see action in the outfield this season after compiling impressive careers at the high school level. One of two transfers from Northern Iowa is outfielder Levi Ferguson, who hit .256 and stole 13 bases last season with the Panthers for head coach Heller.

"We've got the potential to put one of the stronger outfields in the league in our lineup if we play Strausborger in center," said head coach Heller. "If Levi's in the lineup and in the outfield with Strausborger, those two guys are as fast as it gets in this league. With our big outfield, it bodes well for our pitching staff because I doubt you'll see many fly balls touching the grass out there."

Three players will look to earn playing time behind the plate this season for the Sycamores, in senior Tyler Graham, true freshman Jeremy Lucas and junior college transfer Adam Richart. Graham, who will also likely see time in the outfield, and Lucas, who was selected in the 35th round of last season's MLB Draft, will likely split most of the action behind the plate, with Richart serving as their primary backup. True freshman Shane Crain is also a catcher, but will likely redshirt this season.

"Tyler is one of our better hitters in the lineup," said head coach Heller. "I look for him to have a breakout year and a great senior season. Jeremy has had a really good fall and winter, and has a strong throwing arm. Both Tyler and Jeremy will get a lot of innings in behind the plate."

First base is another position on the diamond that is full of competition for playing time. Junior college transfer Phil Liniger, senior Ben Caple, and true freshmen Jake Hartley and Robby Ort all could see time at the first base bag. Liniger set career records at Columbia Basin Community College for career hits and RBI, along with a single season record for doubles. Caple hit .147 last season for the Sycamores in 22 games with one home run and seven RBI.

"We've got four real solid options at first base this season. Phil is a pure hitter with great gap-to-gap power that won't strike out much because he has a good eye," said head coach Heller. "Ben's going to compete for playing time and has really improved in the last couple months. Jake's another option at first, and if I had to give a most-improved award from the fall until now, Jake would probably get that. Robby came to ISU primarily as an outfielder, but he's been very good around the bag and very strong defensively."

Head coach Heller will have several players to choose from at the second base position as well for the 2010 season. Senior Ryan Strausborger, a 2008 MVC First Team All-Conference selection at second base, will likely see time at the position, along with true freshman Jordan Pearson and senior transfer Grant Grgurich. Grgurich, who hit .275 last season with two home runs, 17 RBI and 10 stolen bases, is the second player to transfer to Indiana State after Northern Iowa dropped their program. Freshman infielder Jacob Weinzapfel can also play second base, but will likely redshirt for the 2010 season.

"We've got three solid options at second base," said head coach Heller. "All three of those guys could play short or third if anything would happen, so we're in good shape there. Now, it's just a matter of finding out how the lineup is going to go once we start playing."

Senior Ben Ferrell heads into the 2010 season as the primary option at shortstop for the Sycamores. Ferrell hit .214 last season along with 11 RBI. The Aurora, Colo., native led Indiana State with 129 assists from the field while only committing three errors.

"Ben can really defend," said head coach Heller. "In my opinion, the left side of our infield will be as strong as most of the better fielding teams in the country. It will bode well for our pitchers if we can throw ground balls."

The Indiana State pitching staff returns their top two starters from last season in junior right-hander Jacob Petricka (7-3, 4.67 ERA) and senior left-hander Joe Rodriguez (7-3, 5.29 ERA), but overall the Sycamores will be without seven of their eleven pitchers from the 2009 season. Junior Eric Valdez (35th round - Seattle Mariners) and Petricka (34th round - New York Yankees) were both selected in the MLB Draft, with Valdez choosing to sign with Seattle and Petricka returning for his junior season. One other former Sycamore pitcher joined a major league club this offseason when senior Michael Manus (2-2, 4.70 ERA) signed with the Detroit Tigers.

"Our top two pitchers are #1 caliber guys," said head coach Heller. "It gives us the nice combination of a hard-throwing right-hander and a mid-80s left-hander with one of the best changeups in the conference."

A pair of newcomers will have the opportunity to claim the third starter role for ISU this season, with the battle being between junior college transfers Blake Drake and Jason Van Skike. Junior college transfer Brett Merkley will start the season as the closer for the Sycamores, but Van Skike could also see time for ISU at the end of games. Senior Kevin Mann and sophomore transfer Brandon Flora give Indiana State a pair of lefties out of the bullpen. From the right side, true freshman Tyler Browning, sophomore Brandon Dorsett and junior college transfer JT Stenftenagel will both see time in relief of ISU's starters.

"Like most teams, how we manage our bullpen will determine our level of success," said head coach Heller.

"This team has a chance to be really good. We can't afford a lot of injuries to our pitching staff, but looking at it now, I'm very optimistic. I know we lost a lot from last season and many people on the outside don't think we can be that good, but this team believes that we can and so do I. This team has all the intangibles that you look for to have a great season on the field."