21 newcomers for Bears

The Bears will feature 21 new players, including eight pitchers and 13 positions players.

“It’s a new team and [there are] some big shoes to fill,” UCA Coach Allen Gum said in a news release. “But we like our group, there’s no doubt about that. Good kids, good character kids. … But like I said, seven out of eight [position players] have never been on a Division I baseball field, so that will be a new experience for them.”

One of UCA’s few veterans, senior Cody Davenport, will start today. A righty from Fayetteville, Davenport started 13 games in 2018 and pitched three complete games.

Davenport shouldered 94.2 innings in 2018, the second-most among all Bears, and had 69 strikeouts and a 4.37 ERA in 17 total appearances.

Junior lefty Ty Callahan, a transfer from Connors State Community College in Warner, Okla., will start Saturday. Veteran righty Mark Moyer, a junior from Russellville who a 4.76 ERA in 2018 in 21 appearances (16 in relief), will start Sunday.

Other than senior first baseman Tyler Smith, an All-Southland First-Team preseason selection who batted .285 and started all 57 games at first in 2018, UCA will fill out of the remainder of its defense with newbies.

The Bears’ projected lineup includes junior catcher Nathan Sagdahl, junior third baseman Beau Orlando, junior shortstop Joshmar Doran, junior second baseman Cole Fiori, junior right fielder Josh Ragan and freshman center fielder Kolby Johnson.