The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) baseball team will open the 2018 season against Crowder Community College (CCC) February 17 and 18 at Neosho, Mo. The two teams will play doubleheaders each day.

The Bears are beginning their second season under David Pearson, who led DMACC to a 29-27 record in 2017 and a fifth-place finish in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) at 14-10.

"We're going to be young," Pearson said. "Our guys are going to have to go through some growing pains early against a really good non-conference schedule and get accustom to college baseball. We're going to have to develop and learn the speed of the game awfully quickly,"

Pearson has just six sophomores on his second DMACC team. They include Matt Krambeck of Omaha, Neb.; John Werner of Burlington; Jeremy Lovera of Allentown, Penn.; Luke Longmuir of Cottage Grove, Minn,; Alex Holcomb of Owatonna, Minn,; and Austin Weiler of Olathe, Kan.

Holcomb compiled 3-1 record as pitcher in 2017.

"Looking at where we're at, we've got some good young freshman and some good hitters, but defensively we need to develop and we're really thin on the mound," Pearson said. "We're going to have to rely on our sophomore class to carry us with Holcomb, Werner, Longmuir and Krambeck, who will also catch and play third. Weiler will pitch and play first and we're expecting big things offensively out of him."

Pearson said inclement weather has prevented his team from practicing outside, making it difficult to determine who can play where. He said freshmen Janier Puente of Perry, Calen Schwabe of Thompson, N.D., and Robbie McCargar of West Des Moines are making headway in the outfield after playing well in the fall. He said freshman Austin Murr of Denmark Township, Minn., is battling Weiler at first and that freshmen Jayden Zurita of Burlington and Denver Blinn of West Fargo, N.D., have played well at second.

Pearson said a number of players are being considered at shortstop, including Lovera and freshman Evan Salmon of Urbandale. He said freshmen Hayden Fiala of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Johnson are being considered at third base and that freshman Jakob Richardson of Cave Creek, Ariz., has shown potential as a pitcher and as a utility player. Pearson said Krambeck and freshman Tavien Gillette of Rock Island, Ill., are the top candidates at catcher.

Freshmen Spencer Hansen West Des Moines, Richardson, Kolton Scherbenske of Rapid City, S.D., and Henry Ristvedt of Savage, Minn., are also vying for time on the mound and freshman Ramon Vega of Buffalo, Minn., is pushing for time in the infield.

Pearson said pitching depth and the incoming freshmen adapting to the speed of the game are his biggest concerns heading into the season.

"I think overall we have some depth on the offensive side of the baseball and we have some hitters who are going to push for playing time," Pearson said. "I feel like we are a strike throwing, aggressive pitching staff that just needs to add some depth and stay healthy."