What you need to know:
* Official team practice opened Friday
* Season opener is Feb. 13 at home (GSU vs. Fordham, 4 p.m.)
* Only eight returning players in nation hit more homers in 2014 than GSU's Matt Rose (11)
ATLANTA-- With Opening Day just three weeks away, the Georgia State baseball team opened team practice Friday under ninth-year head coach Greg Frady.
"It feels great to be back on the field," Frady said. "We had a very good fall, and we're in a position to pick right back up where we left off and get ready. We play very soon - three weeks and we'll be rolling."
With rain throughout the day, the Panthers had an indoor workout Friday and will look to get outside on the diamond Saturday as they prepare for their second season in the Sun Belt Conference.
"We had a lot to learn about the conference, being the new kid on the block, and we still have a lot to learn," Frady said after a 25-31 season in 2014. "The competition is fantastic, and when we played well, we put ourselves in position to win. We handled ourselves pretty well at home, but we've got to play better on the road. We're looking forward to putting ourselves in a better competitive situation."
Georgia State was one of the top offensive teams in the Sun Belt and the nation last spring, ranking second in the NCAA in home runs (60/1.07 per game). Much of that power came from graduated seniors Nic Wilson (18 HR) and Chase Raffield (14 HR), but the Panthers welcome back junior infielder and pitcher Matt Rose, the Sun Belt's top returning home run hitter after smacking 11 last year. Only eight returnees in the nation hit more homers in 2014.
Along with Rose, who hit .312 with 34 runs batted in, the offense should center around senior infielder Caden Bailey (.283-1-26), a former all-conference player, and junior Joey Roach (.301-3-23), the first-team All-Sun Belt catcher in 2014.
"We have a really good core of positional players returning who give us the potential to score some runs, and I think our pitching and defense are in a much better place," Frady said.
"Matt Rose returns after a fantastic sophomore year. Caden Bailey is a four-year starter and a career .300 hitter, and Joey Roach is our team captain and first team all-conference player. Those guys are the heart of our order," Frady said.
Top newcomers include junior college bats Cam Sperry and Sam Few as well as a trio of freshmen in shortstop Justin Jones, outfielder Rhett Harper and first baseman Jack Thompson.
Weekend starters Nathan Bates (1-3) and Kenny Anderson (5-5) and closer Kevin Burgee (3-1, 8 saves) return to anchor the pitching staff, which should benefit from the addition of several new arms, including junior college right-handers Cole Uvila, Clayton Payne, Marc-Andre Habeck and Alex Hegner.
Georgia State opens the season by hosting Fordham, Liberty and St. John's in the Atlanta Challenge, Feb. 13-15 at the GSU Baseball Complex.
For all the lastest information on Georgia State baseball, including live in-game updates, follow the Panthers on Twitter @GaStateBaseball.
