BUIES CREEK, N.C.- Although the 2008 Fighting Camels faces might look slightly similar, their brand of baseball will look extremely different. After nearly six months of training and preparation, the Campbell baseball team will take the field for the first time under head coach Greg Goff on Friday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. at Taylor Field.

The 2007 cast finished with an 11-45 overall record and a 5-22 mark in the Atlantic Sun Conference, failing to reach the post season. With several fresh faces in key positions Campbell looks to turn the tide and compete for an A-Sun championship.

Catchers

The backstops featured in the 2008 edition of Fighting Camel baseball are possibly one of Campbell's strongest positions on the field this year. The Camels possess two quality leaders and physically skilled catchers in Bryan Braswell and Stephen Parsons, who will both be counted on to do the bulk of the work behind the plate this season. Andrew Caron – a rising sophomore from Waynesboro, Pa. – will also be vying for time as a catcher and can be used in several different ways.

Braswell provides experience having already tucked a freshman season of significant playing time under his belt. The rising sophomore from Rocky Mount, N.C. tallied 27 starts in his rookie campaign – the most starts behind the dish of anyone in 2007. Although he struggled at the plate batting .250 in the A-Sun, Braswell is a hard-nosed player that boasts a .983 fielding percentage and can be counted on to neutralize opposing teams running games. Braswell could also see time on the mound after logging innings in the Coastal Plains League last summer.

A native of Chesapeake, Va., Parsons is a vital edition to this year's squad. A junior college transfer (Louisburg) that also spent time at the Virginia Military Institute, Parsons proved his ability to handle the Camels' pitching staff in the fall. Parsons batted .308 with 19 RBI in one homerun in 46 games for the Hurricanes. His blue-collar style of play is a much needed addition to the 2008 Fighting Camels.

Caron should also challenge for time behind the plate. Although he saw limited action as a freshman his offensive production in the fall was a good indication that his future in a Camel uniform is bright. Caron totaled 11 at-bats in ten appearances last season. The sophomore could also see time at first base or as a designated hitter.

Infield

CU took a big hit in the infield after the conclusion of the 2007 season. With the absence of Jacob Allen, Daniel Smith, Rob Lyerly and Rob Meng the Camels return only one of its everyday infielders in Zach Johnson. Fresh faces scattering the infield could possibly be the answer as 77 errors was the result of last years' infield.

Johnson will be called upon to anchor Campbell's infield at the shortstop position. The sophomore from Smithfield, N.C. will slide over from second base where he started 37 games a season ago. In his freshman campaign Johnson batted .217 with seven doubles and nine RBI and proved to be able to come up with "big time" hits after stroking game-winning RBI against No. 2 North Carolina and East Carolina. Johnson brings an uplifting intensity to the squad and is a leader both on and off the field.

Complimenting Johnson up the middle will be John Watlington, Matt Gardner and Ellis Lowe. After a stint at UNC Asheville, Watlington saw limited action last season but after a summer and fall of hard work and improvement he could be a highlight amongst the Camels this season. Watlington played in 16 games in 2007 and batted .222 and had three straight two-hit games dating from April 27 to May 4.

Both Gardner and Lowe provide depth to Campbell's middle infield. A redshirt sophomore from Huntersville, N.C., Gardner is no stranger to Campbell baseball having spent three seasons wearing the orange and black. Gardner has been used in the past as a pinch-runner and defensive specialist.

Lowe comes to Campbell after completing a decorated high school career at San Marcos High School in San Diego, Ca. The 6-foot-1 freshman batted .357 with 20 RBI and one homerun in his senior season and carries a promising upside. Not only will Lowe challenge for time up the middle but he could also see action at third base.

Campbell will enjoy a seemingly interchangeable corner infield, boasting some of its most talented athletes in Ryan Hamme, Brian Gana and Blake Lowry. Hamme – undoubtedly CU's most versatile player – has proven to not only be an extremely solid bat in the lineup, but just as important on defense seeing time at every position on the field except shortstop and centerfield in his previous two seasons. The junior from Wilmington, N.C. was a second team Atlantic Sun All Conference selection and was voted to the first team A-Sun All Freshman squad. Hamme has also shown power potential belting four homeruns last season and two in his freshman campaign. Hamme's competitive fire coupled with his physical talent will be key in the success CU in 2008.

Gana, a switch hitter from Richland, Wash., will also be called on for production at both third and first base. Gana will be making a significant change at the plate after competing for Bellevue Community College in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges, which is one of just two college conferences in the nation that uses wood bats. Although he has struggled defensively at times, Gana has the ability to make an immediate impact in the middle of Campbell's lineup.

Lowry will be contending for time at first base and probably has one of Campbell's most purely powerful swings. Although Lowry batted .189 in 37 at-bats last season, he showed his long ball capabilities in high school belting 26 homeruns in his four-year career at Garner Magnet HS. The sophomore from Garner, N.C. could also be a mainstay at the designated hitter spot if he hits with consistency.

Outfield

The Camels' outfield is undoubtedly the most experienced group of any on this years' squad, returning all three main starters from last year. Returnees Brandon Scott, Carlton Floyd and Mike Causey account for 227 career starts including 162 last season. Freshmen Graham Fronk and Colin Parker provide depth to an already highly talented outfield.

Scott – a 2008 A-Sun Preseason All Conference selection – returns as Campbell's only four year senior. The 6-foot-2 195 pound native of Robersonville, N.C. will anchor the outfield in center, but will play an integral role on the Camels' pitching staff leaving room for other outfielders to siphon through the position. Scott's .297 batting average ranked third-best on the team to go along with a team-best 32 RBI. Scott's aggressive playing style also poses a threat on the base paths having stolen 45 bases in his career.

Floyd enters his junior year after a breakout sophomore season and looks to be the front runner in left field. The left-hander from Riegelwood, N.C. led the team in hits (78), doubles (13) and total bases (101) last season and batted leadoff in all 56 games. Floyd contains true gap-to-gap power and is one of Campbell's most consistent contact hitters.

Causey will most likely to be a mainstay in right field after a season in which he started 51 games. The senior from Wilmington, N.C. hit .263 with six doubles a triple and 17 RBI and tallied nine multi-hit ballgames last season. Causey's aggressiveness fits in well with Coach Goff's hard-nosed style of play swiping nine bases in 18 attempts last season. Causey's relentless work ethic has provided the necessary base for what could be a solid season.

Fronk gives Campbell's outfield a jolt of youth as two seniors and a junior grace its presence. A native of Charlotte, N.C., Fronk's natural instincts and sheer speed has propelled him to possibly be Campbell's best defensive outfielder. As Scott and Floyd see significant time on the mound, Fronk will get the nod in either center or left, and if he shows consistent production at the plate could possibly be an everyday player for the Camels in 2008.

Parker, Bub White and Ben Long will also have the opportunity to prove themselves in the outfield. Both Parker and Long swing the bat left-handed, which could be a significant situational tool for Campbell.

Pitchers

To compliment the NCAA scheduling change Campbell features eight returning pitchers and ten newcomers to this year's staff. CU will have plenty of opportunities to consume innings after the graduation of Blake Herring, Quinn LeSage and Chris England. The three right-handers combined to pitch 209 innings, which accounts for nearly 45 percent of the total innings pitched last season. Head coach Greg Goff will most likely use several different combinations of pitchers early in the season to get a handle on which individual best fills each role.

Justin Lilly returns after compiling 80 innings; the second most innings pitched on the team last season. The 6-foot-4, 220 pound senior has the proven ability to consistently throw three quality pitches for strikes. Lilly also ranked second-best on the team in strikeouts (54) and made the third-most starts (11). A native of Raleigh, N.C., Lilly's competitive fire complimented by his solid skills on the mound will be vital to the Camels success.

Brandon Scott should also be a mainstay on the mound this season after posting a 4.50 ERA in 64 innings pitched last year. The two-way player made eight starts and showed potential to be a dominant pitcher in the A-Sun. Scott has seen time as both a starter and closer, which could benefit the Camels down the stretch.

Ryan Hamme, Carlton Floyd, Matt Martinez, Trevor Smith, Hunter Ford, Jared Lehman and Austin Harris also return after previous campaigns as a CU hurler. Martinez, Floyd and Ford give the Camels left-handed looks, while Hamme, Smith, Lehman and Harris all return as experienced right-handers. Hamme could possibly emerge as Campbell's closer having proved he can throw strikes in late game situations.

Martinez, one of four seniors on this year's roster, led the team in appearances with 23 and compiled 25.2 innings last season. The Peoria, Ariz. native was one of just three players to record a save last year. His three quarter delivery gives hitters an unfamiliar left-handed look and can be extremely effective in short relief situations.

Smith will also compete for significant innings after being thrown into several difficult mid-week games in 2007. The junior from Lillington, N.C. posted the fifth-most innings pitched (40.2) and earned victories over both East Carolina and Holy Cross. Smith has seen time both out of the pen and as a starter, making him a versatile pitcher to turn to in different occasions.

Three transfers and seven freshmen round out CU's arms for 2008. Josh Fish, Cody Raisch and Daniel Gardo makeup Campbell's transfers, while Colin Parker, Sean Raisch, Wes Edwards, Jeff Hoffman, Richard Gaito, Ethan Meiggs and Ben Long are all freshmen hurlers.

Both Fish and Cody Raisch are junior college transfers, while Gardo transferred from the University of Pittsburgh after the fall semester. Fish owns Wenatchee Valley College's most consecutive scoreless innings record (26), while Raisch compiled 3-0 record in over 20 innings for Indian Hills CC. Gardo was a redshirt for the Panthers a season ago.

Several freshmen will get the chance to earn roles in the Camels' pitching staff early in season. Throughout a quality fall and even better spring start, Edwards looks to be one of the top freshmen of 2008. Hailing from Rochester, N.Y, Edwards led McQuaid Jesuit High School to a 16-5 record his junior season and was tabbed as the teams MVP in his sophomore campaign. Edwards is a 6-foot-4, 205 pound right-handed pitcher with athleticism.