Cowboy baseball opens season in California

The Cowboys are leaving behind the chilly weather and heading to the golden coast of California to prepare to the start of their season against California Polytechnic State University.

There are questions that will remain unanswered even after the first pitch is thrown.

As it stands, there are 25 players on the OSU roster who have not played a single inning for the Cowboys. Although some people see that as a sign of trouble, coach Frank Anderson looks at the potential.

"We have a really good group of freshmen," Anderson said. "A lot of the season will depend on how quickly they can make a transition."

Anderson went a step further and mentioned a few freshmen who he expects will have an immediate impact.

At catcher, Gage Green and Victor Romero are expected to see early playing time.

Green, a dynamic player who has the ability to play almost any position, was an all-state selection his junior and senior years at Rider High School in Rider, Texas.

Romero can be moved around, as well. He will likely split time at catcher with senior Jared Womack. Romero will move to first base when he is not behind the plate.

In the outfield, Anderson expects Zach Fish, a freshman from Kalamazoo, Mich., to get in the action early.

The Texas Rangers selected Fish in the 24th round of last year's MLB Draft after his record setting senior year.

"Zach (Fish) has a chance to be one of the better hitters we have had for a while," Anderson said. "He is going to struggle like a lot of freshmen, but he has some tremendous power, and he can throw and can do some different things."

In addition to filling position spots in the lineup, Anderson looks for some of the freshmen to contribute as pitchers. There is a possibility Green moves from behind the plate to the bullpen, where he and fellow left-hander Kyle Bagnell will be called upon late in games.

Bagnell, a standout pitcher from Polson, Mont., was an all-state selection in 2009 and 2010.

The Cowboys swept a three-game series in Stillwater the last time the two teams met If OSU is able to sweep Cal Poly again this weekend, Anderson will have 300 career win as coach of the Cowboys.

Anderson would become the third coach to reach that mark. Gary Ward (953 wins) and Toby Greene (318 wins) are the others with that achievement at OSU.