The Mount St. Mary's 2010 baseball team looks to challenge for a top spot in the Northeast Conference (NEC) this season after narrowly missing out on the playoffs last year. The 2008 NEC champions return a solid offense and have plenty of experience returning on the mound.

The Mount will have plenty of firepower at the plate this season, led by reigning NEC Player of the Year Shane Eyler. An outfielder, Eyler hit .380 with 11 doubles, 15 home runs and 46 RBI on the year. Eyler had a .717 slugging percentage and a .446 on-base percentage last season. He was even better in NEC play, hitting .411 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI with a .889 slugging percentage against league foes.

Junior Kyle Kane should hit in the cleanup spot again this season after a solid sophomore season where he hit .321 with seven doubles and 36 RBI. Kane, who will see action at catcher and designated hitter, tied for the team lead with 39 runs scored while adding six steals in 2009.

Senior shortstop Jacob Darr is also a key cog to the Mount offense. Expected to hit third in the lineup, Darr hit .298 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 33 RBI last season. A solid defensive shortstop, he was outstanding in NEC games, hitting .350 with four home runs and 22 RBI.

At the corners, first baseman Josh Winter looks to build on a solid freshman season while junior Joe Kavanagh is coming off a solid season as well. Winter hit .333 with eight doubles, three triples, four home runs and 33 RBI in his rookie campaign with the Mountaineers. Joe Kavanagh looks to be the Mount's third baseman again after hitting .314 with six doubles and a .432 on-base percentage last year. Sophomore Tony Prescott will also see time at first base for the Mount this season.

Behind the plate, the Mount has junior Alex Andrews along with newcomers Andrew Caron and Mark Quaranta. Andrews hit .288 with 16 RBI last season for the Mount, starting 21 games. Caron is eligible this season after sitting out last year as a transfer from Campbell. A freshman, Quaranta will challenge for time as well.

Another position that is probably up for grabs is second base. Juniors Tony Quaranta, Zach Helman and Steve Benvenuto along with sophomore Mike Foster will all see time at the position. Quaranta hit .231 last year with 20 starts while Helman had seven doubles and 12 RBI in 27 starts at third base last season. Foster made 24 starts for the Mount as a freshman while Benvenuto his .231 in 21 games last year.

In the outfield, sophomore Buddy Fields looks to man center field while Tommy Flynn will see time in left field. Fields hit .303 with a team-high 11 stolen bases while scoring 21 runs for the Mount as a freshman. Flynn posted a .325 average with three home runs and 10 stolen bases in 2009. Senior Mike Matta, sophomore Tom Healy and freshman Sam Nott will also play in the outfield for the Mount.

On the mound, seniors Costa Kapothanasis, Kent Worthington and Mike Matta will be the backbone of the staff. Kapothanasis was 4-3 with a 5.06 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 58.2 innings of work last season for the Mount. He held the opposition to a .243 batting average for the year. Worthington was 3-6 with a 6.65 ERA in 43.1 innings last season, posting 35 strikeouts. Matta, the team's closer, was outstanding in 2009, recording a 6-1 record with six saves and a 3.83 ERA in 42.1 innings of work. Matta held the opposition to a .251 average.

Sophomores Brady Feigl and Buddy Fields look to play key roles on the staff as well. Feigl was 3-3 with one save and a 6.64 ERA in 62.1 innings as a freshman for the Mount. He struck out a team-high 69 batters while walking 23 on the year. Fields was 0-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two appearances for the Mountaineers his freshman season.

The rest of the staff includes juniors Chris McDermott, Colin Stuver, Marshall Thomason and freshmen Vince Molesky, Karl Lamont, Ryan Moriarity and Peter DeCandia.

The Mount opens the 2010 season with three games at Davidson College. The Mountaineers will battle host Davidson on Friday and Sunday while playing Presbyterian on Saturday.