Bellevue University
Coach: Duane Monlux, 2nd year
Record last year: 31-22 , 13-4 MCAC (second)
Players to watch: Senior P Eric Locke posted a 7-2 record last season with a 2.96 ERA and 44 strikeouts. Senior 1B Brandon Thompson returns after batting .371 with 33 RBIs, seven doubles and three home runs
Outlook: The Bruins return three starters from last season's 31-22 squad that captured the MCAC tournament title and advanced to nationals. "We lost some talented seniors from a year ago, but brought in some very good talent,'' Monlux said. "We have made major upgrades behind the plate, bringing in two NWAACC Gold Glove Catchers. We have also added some power arms to our pitching staff. We will definitely have more pitching depth this year. We have the ability to run, however we will not be as fast on the bases as we were a year ago."
Briar Cliff
Coach: Boyd Pitkin, 15th year
Record last year: 14-34, 7-15 GPAC (10th)
Player to watch: Shane Richins hit .333 last year and led the Chargers with 52 hits.
Outlook: The Chargers lost eight of their last nine to finish the 2011 campaign and are looking for a fresh start in 2012. The Chargers return the majority of their squad and hope that a year of experience will help the team as it tries to prove it is once again a league power.
Concordia University
Coach: Jeremy Geidel, 15th year
Record last year: 19-28, 9-13 GPAC (eighth)
Player to watch: Senior OF Zak Goodrich was a first-team All-GPAC performer and was also selected to the GPAC's Golden Glove team last season. He led Concordia in most offensive categories last season and made just one error defensively.
Outlook: The Bulldogs return most of their starters from a year ago. Steven Ivanoff will lead the Bulldog pitching staff, while Goodrich, Brandon Pflug, Anthony Flores and Ray Finley all hit .300 or better last year for Concordia.
Doane College
Coach: Jeremy Jorgensen, 5th year
Record last year: 37-19, 16-6 GPAC (first)
Player to watch: Chance Brull was named GPAC pitcher of the year in 2011 and was named to the Preseason NAIA All-America list.
Outlook: The Tigers return eight position players and the majority of their pitching staff from last year's team that qualified for the NAIA national championship opening round.
Hastings College
Coach: Jim Boeve, 23rd year
Record last year: 29-24, 16-6 GPAC (first)
Player to watch: P Kirby Wells was 6-3 with a 3.59 ERA. Gold Glove RF Mack Land hit .299 and was 4-0 with five saves and 3.90 ERA.
Outlook: Veteran team must address vacancies at catcher and left side of the infield to return to national tournament.
Iowa Western
Coach: Marc Rardin, 10th year
Record last year: 43-20. Won Region XI Title for seventh consecutive year, Northern District title fifth consecutive year, five consecutive trips to Junior College World Series.
Player to watch: 3B Damek Tomscha hit .388 as a freshman last year with 14 home runs. Signed to go to Auburn next year and has been drafted twice. Reivers had nine sophomores sign early this fall with Division I schools.
Outlook: Baseball America has Iowa Western ranked second in the country. The Reivers are third in Collegiate Baseball. The Reivers have a lot of last year's talent back with some very talented freshmen. Seven every-day position players return.
McCook C.C.
Coach: Jon Olsen
Midland University
Coach: Jef Field, 18th season
Record last year: 26-20, 15-6 GPAC (fourth)
Player to watch: Senior Derek Kampschneider, a first-team All-GPAC pick who hit .336 with four homers and 33 RBIs, is moving to catcher.
Outlook: Midland is very young but has a lot of talent. If the young players can minimize mistakes, look for Midland to compete in the upper part of the GPAC.
Morningside
Coach: Brian Drent, 1st Year
Record last year: 31-21, 14-8 GPAC (fifth)
Player to watch: Junior P Storm Throne has been attracting the attention of pro scouts. Junior OF Travis Hanson was the 2011 NAIA national leader with 44 stolen bases
Outlook: Morningside hopes to make a strong challenge in the GPAC with seven position starters and most of its key pitchers returning.
Nebraska Wesleyan
Coach: Bill Fagler, 7th year
Record last year: 12-24, 8-14 GPAC (ninth)
Player to watch: Senior SS-P Josh Ostrom is a four-year starter. Earned All-GPAC recognition in each of his first three seasons. Improved his batting average each season, hitting .357 last season. Also has thrown nine complete games.
Outlook: NWU has all but two starters back from the 2011 team that just missed qualifying for the GPAC tournament for the second consecutive season. Fagler has his largest squad ever with 21 returning lettermen. The Prairie Wolves goal is to qualify for the GPAC postseason tournament that they will host at Haymarket Park in Lincoln.
Northwestern College
Coach: Brian Wede, 6th year
Record last year: 26-19, 16-6 GPAC (fourth)
Player to watch: OF-P Mike Zoellner hit .304 last year and went 7-2 on the mound. With three wins he will move into second all-time at Northwestern in career wins.
Outlook: NWC got picked to finish second in the GPAC and returns their top five hitters and seven starters offensively. The Red Raider pitching staff combined for 23 of 26 wins and 274 of 316 innings last year. The Red Raiders also return many of the key players that helped earn the highest fielding percentage in the GPAC in 2011.
Northwest Missouri State
Coach: Darin Loe, 13th year
Record last year: 20-30, 19-25 MIAA (eighth)
Player to watch: Cameron Bedard hit .306 with six doubles, three triples, 11 RBIs and 22 runs scored in 2011.
Outlook: Northwest has eight position starters returning in addition to six returning pitchers. The Bearcats welcomed 17 newcomers, with plans of returning the MIAA Tournament.
Peru State
Coach: Wayne Albury, 2nd Year
Record last year: 20-23-1, 11-9 MCAC. Now in Heart of America Conference.
Player to watch: OF Jonathan Castillo was a first- team MCAC all-conference and all-tournament selection last year. He hit .391 last year and led the team in stolen bases with 17.
Outlook: The Bobcats have to replace six seniors but had a strong recruiting class to go with more than 20 returnees.
UNK
Coach: Damon Day, 9th year
Record last year: 38-19, 27-11 RMAC (first)
Player to watch: Junior C-DH Chandler Klute earned 2011 first-team All-RMAC honors by batting .312 with 34 RBIs, 13 doubles and 35 runs scored. He is the only Loper returning with more than 50 at-bats last year.
Outlook: UNK has virtually a whole new team as 16 seniors, many of whom were starters or key reserves, graduated last spring. While Klute is the only returning Loper with significant time in the field, the pitching staff has a bit more experience in seniors Yancy Birch, Mike Loseke and Mike Nowak and sophomore Ethan Poulsen.
Wayne State
Coach: Brian Disch, 3rd year
Record last year: 26-19, 18-10 NSIC (fourth)
Player to watch: Senior OF Mike Bisenius was a third-team ABCA/Rawlings All-American last season after hitting .401 with eight homers, 18 doubles and 48 RBIs. Bisenius has already been named to several preseason All-America teams.
Outlook: Wildcats return seven position starters and three of top four starters from last year's team that just missed qualifying for the NCAA Central Regional. Wayne State is scheduled to open at Colorado School of Mines on Feb. 25.
Western Nebraska C.C.
Coach: Mike Jones, 11th year
Record last year: 24-36. Qualified for the Region IX playoffs
Players to Watch: SS Max Brennan, 1B Jake Vore, C Josh Bride, 3B Jose Gonzalez, P Jeff Schmidt, P Terry McNabb will ead the team.
Outlook: The season looks to be strong if the freshmen come around. Jones said his team is making a lot of progress because they have been outside a lot during the month of January and the first week of February. "So far we are looking OK. We are ahead of the game right now because of the mild winter that we have had," he said. "We have been outside a lot and have worked on a bunch of situational stuff in practice. In the past, we had to simulate those in the gym. We have a group of guys that are separating themselves and starting to be the frontline guys."
York College
Coach: Nick Harlan, 8th year
Record last year: 39-14, 14-4 MCAC (first)
Player to watch: Pat Burford batted .350 with nine homers. Brett Nathan batted .337 with seven home runs.
Outlook: Ranked No. 22 in the preseason. Looking for third straight MCAC title.
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