CONWAY, Ark. – A new era of Hendrix College baseball will start when the Warriors take to the field for the first time in 2013 against Willamette University in McKinney, Texas on Friday night.

First year head coach Neil Groat, who spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant and was a four-year starter in the infield for Hendrix, takes over for R.J. Thomas, the winningest coach in program history with 108 victories in six seasons.

Groat kept most of the coaching staff in place. Back are assistants Pat Burton, in his third season, and Jay Mattox, in his second season. Three former Warriors who finished their playing careers in 2012 joined the staff – Andrew Thames as an assistant and Kyle Raskin and Aaron Bowen as student assistants. The new edition to Hendrix family is pitching coach Marvin Prestridge, who was a three-time all-conference hurler for the University of Texas at Dallas.

The Warriors return 17 letterwinners from last season's team that tied the program record with 22 wins.

Offensively, Hendrix returns just three starters, after losing a decorated class of six seniors to graduation.

Two-time All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference selection Collin Radack will move to center field after splitting time between left and designated hitter last year. The Austin, Texas native led the Warriors with a .403 batting average, 64 hits and 45 RBI a year ago. Sophomore Matt Simmons will be the starter in right field after starting 33 games in the outfield and at DH a year ago. Simmons tied for the team lead with two homers last year.

Utility man Austin Womack, a junior, will spend time in left field and shortstop. Womack hit .304 a year ago and was third on the team with nine stolen bases. Also fighting for time in the outfield are junior James Owen-Leary and Conway, Ark. product Zach Crenshaw.

Sophomore Ryan Ritz will move from reserve shortstop to first base. Ritz started 14 contests a year ago, and came up with nine RBI in 55 at bats. Sophomore John Pounds and junior Anthony Nail will battle for time at first as well. Two-time all-conference California native Charlie St. Clair will vie for time at second base with sophomore Tim San Pablo.

On the left side of the infield, freshman Brandon Smith of Oro Valley, Ariz. will start at shortstop. He will be backed up by Womack and Ritz. Sophomore Brady Newville, who hit .327 in 52 at bats as a freshman, will take over the hot corner.

Sophomore catcher Seth Mobley takes over at catcher, after seeing limited action a year ago. Freshman Zane Heather will also spend time behind the plate.

The Warriors return eight experienced pitchers to the mound to go with five talented freshmen.

Battling for time in the starting rotation will be junior Jacob Perschke sophomore Nick Land, senior Ted Smoyer and freshmen Will Nichol and Daniel Imbro. Last season, Perschke went 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA and 28 strikeouts in seven starts in 2012, earning All-SCAC Honorable Mention. Land fanned 20 batters and picked up two saves over 38 innings of work last season.

Smoyer, who missed all last season with an injury, comes back after earning All-SCAC First Team honors as a sophomore and an honorable mention nod as a junior. He went 3-2 with a 3.47 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 58 innings in 2011.

Senior Tyler Keever, junior Justin Mosbey, and sophomores Cannon Schrank, Grant Nunn and Clanton Wood all return to the Hendrix bullpen. Keever and Schrank, who combined for 33.1 innings last season,  will be the left-handed specialists. Mosbey earned three wins and three saves with a 2.80 ERA in 35.1 innings last year. Nunn recorded a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings a year ago and Wood had a 3.18 ERA with four strikeouts in seven appearances.

Joining them in the bullpen will be the freshmen trio of Kyle Teachout, Brian Commerford and Mickey Platz.

Junior Thomas Weber, who had a win, a save and a 3.38 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 26.2 innings last year, is coming off of Tommy John surgery and will hopefully be ready by April.

The Warriors kick off the season in McKinney, Texas this weekend against regional opponents Willamette, East Texas Baptist and Louisiana College. Hendrix will open their home slate on Tuesday against Rust College.