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RICHMOND, Ky. – The EKU baseball team is heading out west to open its season with a four-game series at the No.7 University of Arizona Wildcats in Tucson, Arizona this weekend.
 
First pitch for the season opener is set for 8 p.m. eastern on Friday. Both Saturday and Sunday's games will start at 3 p.m. eastern, and Monday's game is set to get underway at noon eastern.
 
The Colonels are stepping up to quite a challenge as Arizona went 49-24 on its way to finishing as the runner-up in the 2016 College World Series. The Wildcats are led by JJ Matijevic and JC Cloney. Matijevic is the top returning hitter, as he posted a .287 average in 2016 while knocking in 37 RBIs. His four home runs were tied for third on the team. Cloney is the top returning pitcher after notching an 8-4 record with a 2.45 ERA over 110 innings of work in 2016.
 
Eastern returns six of the eight positional starters, plus the designated hitter from the 2016 squad. While most of the lineup remains the same, over 50 percent of the runs scored in 2016 came from departed players, meaning this year's team will have some ground to make up.
 
The Colonels will lean on a duo of senior infielders, first baseman Ben Fisher and shortstop Cole Warrenfeltz, as well as senior outfielder Shea Sullivan. Fisher finished 2016 second on the team in hits with 64 while posting a .288 batting average and 33 RBIs, good for third on the team. Warrenfeltz finished tied for fourth in hits with 60 and a .299 batting average and finished third on the team in stolen bases with nine. Speaking of stolen bases, Sullivan led the squad with 11 steals in addition to his 60 hits and .288 average.
 
The pitching staff, while returning the pitchers responsible for all but two of the EKU victories last season, also sees a large infusion of newcomers. Junior Jack Piekos takes the mound for Eastern on Friday after transferring from Florida Southwestern State. Prior to his stint in Florida, Piekos played for the University of Maryland. On Saturday Max Ford, another junior transfer from Florida Southwestern State will get the start. Ford played at the University of Georgia before transferring. While he's not a newcomer, sophomore Aaron Ochsenbein will get his first start at EKU on Sunday. Rounding out the weekend is newcomer Casey Collins, a junior transfer from Georgia Highlands College. The four pitchers taking the mound over the weekend have combined for zero Division I starts.

"We're excited to get the season underway and play someone we normally don't see on our schedule," said EKU Head Coach Edwin Thompson. "Arizona is a program steeped in tradition and success. It'll be great for our guys to get some experience against a team that finished as the runner-up in the College World Series last season."
 
Eastern is the only team in the nation opening the season by playing five games against teams ranking in the top eight in the nation. After wrapping up the four-game series against No.7 Arizona, the Colonels return to the bluegrass state to take on No. 8 Louisville.