BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb baseball will open its 2023 campaign on Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm, beginning a four-game weekend series against Rider.

The Runnin' Bulldogs expect big things in 2023 and are projected to finish near the top of the Big South Conference standings with the return of a strong core at the plate and in the field. An experienced pitching staff will benefit from the addition of several new arms as well.

Head coach Jim Chester's third full season should be an exciting one and season tickets remain on sale for $99 through Friday at GWUSports.com. Single-game tickets are available online or at the gate for $5.

The return of ace Bobby Alcock anchors the rotation for opening weekend, with the big righty slated to take the mound in Friday's opener. Alcock missed much of the 2022 season, but returned to health and pitched well in the prestigious Cape Cod League last summer.

Southpaws Tyler Switalski and Luke Goodyear are expected to pitch in Saturday's doubleheader, which begins at Noon. Two-way standout Jacob McCaskey will pitch in Sunday's finale (Noon).

The batting order is packed with experience, power and production. Leadoff man Jacob Marcos is among the fastest players in the country and swiped 30 bases in 2022 to earn All-Big South Conference honors. The centerfielder's defensive exploits are well known.

Last season, Marcos batted .299 with 10 doubles, 49 runs scored and a .393 on base percentage. In addition to his 30 steals, Marcos was excellent at moving runners – leading the team with 14 sacrifice bunts. He also had four outfield assists and fielded a strong .994 defensively.

In the middle of the order, All-Big South first baseman Alec Burns returns after a breakout season. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder batted .311 with 15 home runs, 47 RBI and a .438 on base percentage. He also fielded .997 with only one error at first base. D1Baseball.com named Burns its preseason Big South Player of the Year in early February.

Another All-Big South candidate, rightfielder Curtis Robison, returns after batting .298 with six bombs, 18 doubles and a .428 on base percentage. The Penn State transfer led the team with 41 walks and is also an excellent defender – with four outfield assists in 2022.

Pete Capobianco (.240, 7 HR), Humberto Torres and Bo Rusher III return with plenty of at bats from the 2022 season. A potential breakout performer for 2023 could be outfielder Nate Anderson, who emerged as one of the best prospects in the Appalachian League over the summer and has Marcos-level speed on the bases.

McCaskey will also slot in the middle of Gardner-Webb's order after earning NCAA Division II All-America honors last season at Cal University (Pa.). He batted .373 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 45 RBI last season while going 6-1 with a 3.17 ERA and 59 strikeouts on the mound. He is capable of manning a number of positions.

Wake Forest transfer Mark Black has a power bat and could play behind the plate or move to another position if needed. Black was an All-America choice by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper at Serra Catholic (Pa.) High and was the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Baseball Player of the Year in 2019 after batting an eye-popping .512 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI as a prep junior.

Gifted freshman Ryan Kennell is another potential starter on the infield after signing with the Runnin' Bulldogs after a strong career at Livonia Churchill (Mich.) High. Kennell was rated as the No. 25 senior prospect in Michigan for the Class of 2022 and was rated by Perfect Game as a top-500 national prospect overall.

Kennell was a two-time All-State selection in high school and was named to MLive.com's Metro Detroit Dream Team in 2022. He batted .504 with six home runs, five triples and 59 hits as a senior. He was also a first-team All-Area selection in football as a kicker.

Slugger Joe Stanzione belted 15 home runs as a high school senior in 2022 and was a first-team All-State selection at Middletown South (N.J.) High.

In addition to his projected starting rotation, Chester has a deep bullpen. 

Returning arms Michael Portella, Connor Maggi, Casey Young, Lenny Washington and Dalton Strickland have experience. GWU also welcomed transfer arms Brendan Bean (Penn), Tanner Chafin (LeGrange College), Kazuya Kojima (Tacoma CC), Joe Miceli (Virginia), Joe Nestal (UMBC), Grant Vera (Kent State) and Dalton Wood (Rice) to the pen – with several also capable of assuming starting roles.

The four-game home series with Rider starts a nine-game homestand for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Gardner-Webb will play 17 of its first 19 games in John Henry Moss Stadium / Bill Masters Field.