Oklahoma City University boasts of a deep roster and a unity of purpose in its aim to compete for the national championship once more.

The Stars tied for third place in the NAIA World Series and recorded its 11th consecutive 50-win campaign in adding to its rich history in baseball. OCU stands tied for the most wins of any college baseball program since 1991.

OCU has built a talented roster in an effort to qualify for a 12th trip to the NAIA World Series to be held May 28-June 4 in Lewiston, Idaho. 
The third-ranked Stars open the season against Texas Wesleyan with a noon doubleheader Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, then face 25th-ranked Northwood (Texas) in a noon doubleheader Sunday in Cedar Hill, Texas.

“I expect us to be contenders at the national level once again,” OCU coach Denney Crabaugh said. “That's the expectation every year. We have a lot of new players, but they have the same expectations as everyone in this program. Everyone is working towards the common goal of getting back to Lewiston and playing for the national championship.”

The Stars will be led by a group of seniors that includes Garrett Parker, Brad Riddle and Steve Vitale.

Parker, a right-handed pitcher from Duncanville, Texas, looks to take over as the Stars' ace this year. He went 8-1 with a 4.06 earned run average and 100 strikeouts last year.

“He wants the ball and to pitch against the toughest competition,” Crabaugh said. “He has matured incredibly over the past year.”

Riddle, a righty from Bethany, Okla., has been OCU's relief stopper throughout his career. Riddle posted seven saves last year and has 13 in his career. Riddle can break OCU's career appearances record.

“He is a fourth-year guy who will be our go-to guy out of the bullpen,” Crabaugh said. “He wants the ball in every situation. We have a lot of confidence in him.”

Vitale, an infielder from East Meadow, N.Y., is a proven producer who will be in the heart of OCU's order. He hit .392 with 14 homers and 58 RBIs last year. Crabaugh: He had a great fall. “We expect him to be prominent in our lineup. He hits for power and average, and he is solid defensively.”

A position-by-position look at OCU:

Infield

Garrett Regan, a senior from Calgary, Alberta, expects to be fully recovered from an injury that kept him out of action most of 2009. Regan, an all-American as a junior, will shift to first base.

“He has shown few signs of rust,” Crabaugh said. “He will hit for average with power in the middle of our order.”

Kirk Walker, a junior from Bakersfield, Calif., has been the starting shortstop shortly after arriving at OCU. Walker hit .410 with eight homers and 55 RBIs last year. Crabaugh: “He is steady every day and brings something to the table. He's going to have a big year.”

Chad Carman, a sophomore from Midwest City, Okla., returns to handle most of the catching duties. Carman had a .418 average last year. Crabaugh said, “He has worked hard to improve his defense and ability to work with pitchers. He has worked on his hitting to become more consistent in his approach.”

Nathan Bryan, a junior from Andrews, Texas, will play a variety of positions while providing a powerful bat to the lineup. “He is a threat every time,” Crabaugh said. “He can turn around a ballgame.”

Brian Fisher, a sophomore from Spring, Texas, has shown improved skills this off-season to add to his defensive ability. “He has worked hard and turned himself into a solid player,” said Crabaugh.

Scott Dalrymple, a junior from Beaverton, Ore., could catch or play first. “He is one of our better pure athletes on the team,” Crabaugh said. “He has a great arm behind the plate. He has lots of potential with his bat.”

Ryan DiMascio, a sophomore from Scottsdale, Ariz., transferred in with a solid glove and has increased his offensive skills. “He is a solid defensive infielder with good range and a good arm,” Crabaugh said.

Austin Messerli, a junior from Norman, Okla., can provide pop. “He is a big right-handed power hitter,” said Crabaugh. 

Dearth Parker, a junior from Roff, Okla., brings baseball savvy along with his defensive abilities. “He has potential to put up good numbers and is solid defensively,” Crabaugh said.

Outfield

Drew McAdoo, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., returns after a year hiatus from OCU. He provides leadership for the team. Crabaugh said, “He has a vast understanding of what this program is about. He is a true leader. He keeps people focused on what our goals are.”

David Grellner, a sophomore from Okarche, Okla., has shown promise in spot duty while at OCU. “He continues to be one of the hardest workers on the team,” Crabaugh said. “He has made himself into a solid college player.”

Terrance Jackson, a junior from Greenville, Ala., can run well and hit for power. He will also be a key member of the pitching staff. “He is a dual-position player who will be in the rotation,” Crabaugh said. “He changes speeds well. He could bat leadoff.”

Matt Presley, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., owns a variety of skills. “He is a very good hitter with outstanding power. He is a run producer. He is very good in the outfield defensively,” Crabaugh said.

Mark Purser, a junior from Spokane, Wash., could hit leadoff as well as close games as a reliever. “He has surprising power,” said Crabaugh. “He is very good defensively. He has power pitches suited to the role of closer.”
David Mann will sit out after suffering a season-ending injury. Mann, a senior outfielder-designated hitter from Albuquerque, N.M., has posted three-year numbers of .370, 31 home runs and 121 RBIs. Mann hit .362 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs in 2009.

Pitching

OCU will have a rotation that features Jackson, Parker, Mike Richard and Dustin Williams, while Cody Crabaugh, Clint Maune and Zac Tidholm can also start. The Stars' bullpen will include Purser, Riddle, Zac Coplon, John Ragsdale and Harold Scheidel.

Richard, a junior from Walla Walla, Wash., has ability to move the ball and pitch effectively. “We expect him to go out and give us a chance to win ballgames,” Crabaugh said.

Williams, a senior from Norman, Okla., will switch to the rotation after making spot starts and being a long reliever last year. He went 5-1 with a 3.93 ERA a year ago. “He has the capability to win games for us,” Crabaugh said. “He has expanded his pitch selection to allow him to go deeper into games.”

Cody Crabaugh, a freshman from Edmond, Okla., will be concentrating on baseball after being a multi-sport athlete in high school. He could be a left-handed pinch hitter. “He continues to get better,” Denney Crabaugh said. “He's working hard to improve his consistency.”

Clint Maune, a junior from Yukon, Okla., could play a key role if he regains his form following an injury. Crabaugh said, “He will be a go-to guy once he completely recovers. He could be in the rotation.”

Tidholm, a junior from Mustang, Okla., provides a versatile left-hander. “He changes speeds well and has added a slider that has made him extremely effective against left-handers,” Crabaugh said.

Coplon, a junior from Claremore, Okla., can play a setup or closing role out of the bullpen. “He will be a go-to guy out of the pen,” Crabaugh said. “He has shutdown stuff and could close games.”

Scheidel, a junior from Canton, Conn., throws pitches with movement, while Ragsdale, a junior from Oklahoma City, displays a strong work ethic.

The Stars were ranked third in the NAIA poll and picked to finish second in the Sooner Athletic Conference in the preseason.

“I'm confident in our abilities,” Crabaugh said. “We have more quality depth than we have had in recent years. They showed enough in the fall to show us we will have a good team.”

“He has a good understanding of what our program is about,” Crabaugh said.