DENVER – We're almost back where we started.
 
When COVID-19 hit America in full force last March, the 2020 MSU Denver baseball season was still in its infancy, with the Roadrunners recovering from a slow start to stand 7-11 overall and 2-2 after the first weekend of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
 
MSU Denver is ready to get back after it with a familiar cast of faces this weekend with a four-game, season-opening home series set for Friday through Sunday against Fort Hays State (Kan.) at the Regency Athletic Complex.
 
"What happened last March was obviously rough," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "But it was better when the guys found out they would get their year (of eligibility) back, and most of them were able to play all summer – not as much and without as much travel, but they still got to play.
 
"Then in the fall we stayed away from it (the virus) for the most part, so we got quite a bit done in the fall, which was important."
 
The Roadrunners and Tigers are schedule to play at noon each day, single nine-inning games on Friday and Sunday with a doubleheader of seven-inning games scheduled on Saturday.
 
MSU Denver is picked to finish fourth in the RMAC in the preseason coaches' poll, but was only two poll points out of second place.
 
"I feel good about this team," Strain said. "And one reason is because of our depth. We've got a lot of guys who played a lot who are back. Last year going into the season we were pretty banged up, but we started to get healthy and were playing pretty well when the season ended.
 
"Now we've got good guys back, and recruiting went really well in the spring in summer. When we got shut down, that's all I could do. We were very fortunate to get some of the guys we got."
 
MSU Denver's probable pitching rotation this weekend is Jimmy Dobrash on Friday, Logan Soole and Austin Stone on Saturday, with Cade Crader scheduled to start Sunday.
 
MSU Denver returns a bona fide All-American in Soole. In 2019, the Roadrunners' last full season, he hit .344 with 15 homers, 45 RBIs and 17 stolen bases while regularly playing center field, and he was 5-2 with a 2.27 ERA as a pitcher, coming within 8 1/3 innings pitched of qualifying for the RMAC ERA title and earning All-America second-team status
 
In 2020, Crader was emerging at the staff ace, going 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA (fourth in the RMAC) while striking out 34 in 28 innings over his five starts. Stone has been a regular member of the MSU Denver rotation since arriving for the 2019 season, and Dobrash struck out 11 in 8 1/3 innings last season. Gannon Reiswig, 1-3 with a 3.55 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings last season, also figures to work his way back into the starting rotation.
 
"For the most part we've got all our starters back," Strain said. "Some of them are limited right now for different reasons."
 
There are plenty of bullpen options, with experienced closer Eric Cox being set up by the likes of Conner Nantkes (16 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings last year) and Carter Akerfelds (13 strikeouts in 10 2/3). Brandon Moore and Tyler Schultz are key returners, and lefty Zach Sundine has been a valuable swingman since joining the program in 2019.
 
Newcomers who could have a big impact include Clayton Burke and Division I transfers Jonathan Pierce (Baylor) and Josh Thompson (Seattle).
 
"It's a pretty deep staff," Strain said. "We've got 19 guys, and I feel good about all of them. They could all do something to help us this year."
 
Filling in around Soole in the batting order are veteran outfielders Chase Anderson, Cade Peters and Owen Reynolds, as well as steady shortstop Zach Paschke.
 
Anderson, All-RMAC second team in 2019, was just heating up (.277) last year after hitting .330 with seven homers and 37 RBIs the year before. That 2019 season included an 18-game hitting streak in which he hit .478. Anderson is in a position to see plenty of time at second base as Strain mixes and matches lineups to get hot hands at-bats.
 
Peters was off to a tremendous start in 2020, batting a team-best .375 while sharing with Anderson the team lead of four homers and delivering a team-best 17 RBIs.
 
Reynolds was hitting .323, and Paschke was starting to catch fire after a tough start and was hitting .240 when the season ended.
 
But it doesn't stop there.
 
"When you start going through it, there are a lot of guys who have played a lot in their careers," Strain said. "The toughest part for me is going to be picking out the guys who are hot. And I've told our guys that. They all deserve to play, and we've just got to go with who is playing well at any particular time."
 
Infielders Dylan Nelson, Cody Schultz and Jimmy Holinger and catcher Alex Gonzales have all been regular starters during their careers.
 
Transfers expected to make an impact are third baseman Bill Ralston, first baseman Jake Williams, outfielder Niko Piazza and catcher Colin Stone, Austin's brother.
 
Freshman Jayden Cordova and junior-college transfer Jake Barber can impact games with their speed, Jackson VanZee with his bat, and Caleb Albaugh is working himself into the infield mix.
 
"I've told the guys that there was going to be more people disappointed (Friday) than who aren't," Strain said. "Because we've got 20 hitters and they are all good enough to play. But 11 of them at a time aren't going to get to play."