ANDERSON, S.C. – After making its' first-ever appearance in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament two seasons ago, the 2017 edition of Anderson baseball will begin its quest for the Trojans' second appearance in the postseason in three years when the Black and Gold plays host to North Greenville, Tuesday at Anderson Memorial Stadium.

The Trojans reached the 20-win plateau for the second straight season last year and the third time since joining the SAC for the 2011 campaign, but the Trojans are searching for added success in 2017.

Head Coach Joe Miller, who is entering his 21st season at the helm of the program and 27th overall in the Electric City, will be looking to blend talented newcomers with familiar faces around the diamond. Miller has the unenviable task of replacing former All-Conference selections LJ Newman and Steven Cooper, but there is guarded optimism as the team approaches Opening Day.

"We lost our three and four hitters," said Miller. "But we are more athletic overall and we have much better team speed. If we can stay healthy on the mound and with our work ethic, we can surprise a lot of people [this season]. And we will be much-improved defensively in the outfield. I really like our ball club."

With interchangeable parts and depth on the team, Miller hopes to capitalize on his squad's versatility - especially on the infield, noting "that the key will be who is playing well and keeping guys sharp."

While there are a few uncertainties surrounding the makeup of the opening-day lineup, seven of the returning position players combined for 208 starts last season, plus four hurlers that combined for 13 wins a year ago.

Catcher
The Trojan roster features four catchers, with sophomore Bryce Patrick the frontrunner to capture the majority of starts behind the plate after drawing a starting nod in 16 games a year ago. Redshirt freshman Joseph Strange, along with sophomore James Gardner and redshirt senior Avery Sneed are expected to battle for playing time.

Infield
First Base
Miller has flexibility on both sides of the infield, including first base. Carson Barrett returns for his sophomore campaign after starting 27 contests last season. The Travelers Rest, S.C., native was second on the team with a .382 batting average, a .609 slugging percentage and a .453 on-base percentage. He drove in 36 runs and belted six home runs, five doubles and a triple.

Redshirt freshman Dillon Carpenter, who is back from an injury a year ago, is also a left-handed hitter and will see time at first base as well as the designated hitter.

Second Base
The returning duo of senior Xavier Peralta and junior Zach McIlroy combined to start every game at second base last season and are expected to platoon again in 2017. Peralta, who is also comfortable on the left side of the infield, was fourth on the team with a .303 batting average and drove in 16 runs, while recording four three-hit games. The native of Aiken, S.C., committed just two errors a year ago. McIlroy boasted a .298 batting average last year and was sixth on the team with seven doubles and crossed the plate 14 times.

Shortstop
The left side of the infield appears set with sophomore Jackson Strange at shortstop and junior Tyler Miller staffing third base. Both are comfortable at either position, with Peralta at ease at shortstop, as well. Strange made seven appearances on the infield a year ago and also saw action as a pinch runner. He drew a pair of walks and scored seven runs in nine at-bats.

Third Base
Miller has been a fixture at the hot corner for the past two seasons, while starting 48 games a year ago. He was third on the team with 55 hits last season and scored a team-high 48 runs. Miller finished the campaign with a .297 batting average and was fourth on the squad with nine doubles. True freshman Avery Green, out of Woodruff (S.C.) High School, is expected to see playing time and provide depth.

Outfield
Veterans Michael Rochester and redshirt senior Steven McKnight are expected to be patrolling the outfield along with redshirt junior William Thomas, who transferred from USC Sumter. Rochester batted .263, while seeing action in 33 games as a sophomore a year ago. He had a season-high six-game hitting streak and reached base safely in 13 consecutive games that stretched from late February to mid-March. McKnight drew a starting nod in 32 contests last season, while recording 20 hits, including four home runs and a double and drove in 15 runs.

Thomas, who will add speed to the Trojan lineup, was a member of the 2015 Fire Ants squad that won the NJCAA Eastern District Championship and made an appearance in the JUCO World Series. Sophomore Troy Carhart, a native of Wilbraham, Mass., will compete for playing time in the outfield, as well.

Pitchers
Among the 15 pitchers on the Trojan roster are 13 letterwinners, including four veteran hurlers who combined for 13 victories a year ago. Redshirt senior Chris Ayers, whose 2016 season was cut short due to an injury, is healthy and is slated to appear as one of the Trojans' weekend starters. The right-hander was 1-1 in three starting assignments last season and notched 16 strikeouts, including seven batters caught looking, while issuing six walks. He limited opponents to a .184 batting-average-against in 14 2/3 innings.

Redshirt junior Nick Contafio and redshirt senior Ryan Owens are expected to round out the weekend rotation. Contafio notched three wins a year ago, while tying for the team-high with 11 starts. The left-hander fanned 38 batters, including a season-high eight against both Coker and Lenoir-Rhyne, while walking 26 in 49 2/3 innings. Owens, who transferred from Winthrop prior to last season, also fanned eight batters in AU's season-opening win over Emmanuel and finished the campaign with three victories and a save in 14 appearances, while striking out 42 batters.

In addition to Ayers and Owens, Miller will look to four other seniors to help provide leadership on the mound. Seniors Evan Small and Daulten Stewart are slated to pitch out of the bullpen this season, while classmates Thomas Smith and Erik Markwat will also see action in relief. Smith served a dual purpose last season with 14 appearances, including six out of the bullpen, while Markwat is a potential closer for the Trojans this season.

Among other upperclassmen on the opening-day roster, junior right-hander Andrew Dill, who was second on the squad with four wins last season, has shown that he can start or come out of the bullpen after making 15 relief appearances in 2016. Junior Matthew Reitz, a right-hander, appeared in a pair of games last season, while right-handed sophomore John McMicking collected a season-best four strikeouts in a loss to Southern Wesleyan, while making three starts last season. Redshirt sophomore Nick Benedetto, a lefty, made five relief appearances on the mound last season. Another pair of sophomores, Tyler Vaughan and Christian Hendrix, along with true freshmen Christian Carpenter and Brett Reynolds will be counted on to provide quality depth.

Anderson opens the season with a four-game homestand, beginning with North Greenville, Tuesday afternoon. First-pitch versus the Crusaders is slated for 3 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.