FIRST PITCH
The Urban Knights are itching to get their 2012 season to prove that they are a better team than their record last year may have shown. They'll jump right into PacWest play with back-to-back doubleheaders against Dixie State at their home field at Laney College in Oakland. "We want to get on the field and show people what our team is like this year, not last year," said head coach Brian Guinn. "We just want to see how we measure up against the rest of the PacWest."

KNIGHTS STOCKPILING ARMS
In 2012, the Knights will have Pre-season All-PacWest pitcher Zach Mexicano and Wade Broadstreet, last year's PacWest Freshman of the Year on the mound. They will add redshirt freshman Nate Gercken, a 6'6 right-hander, junior transfer Ryan Donohoe, who pitched for Moorpark Community College, and freshman Yoshi Uemura, who pitched for four years at Albany High School, and also have Brandon Kistler returning and Kallen Fletcher continuing to spend time on the mound. Both Samm McAlear and Nick Giotta are possibilities to come back from injury later on this year as well, and Niko Leite, Bryce Hutchings, and Stefen Henderson also have mound experience.

A STORM IS COMING
Dixie State picks up 2012 right where they ended 2011: on top of the PacWest. The Red Storm finished as the pre-season favorite in the PacWest coaches poll that also saw first-baseman Tyson Littlewood selected as Preseason PacWest Player of the Year, and Mike Dedrick named Preseason PacWest Pitcher of the Year. Littlewood hit .348 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs in 2011, and Dedrick was 5-3 in 12 starts with a 4.03 earned run average. He allowed 38 runs in 73.2 innings while striking out a team-best 69 hitters. Dixie took the PacWest title last year with a 32-15 record, and was ranked sixth in the West Region for all of Division II.

KNIGHTS ON WATCH
Johnathan Robbins sits on the brink of many ART U baseball records, and the season hasn't even started yet. The senior outfielder already holds program marks in runs (70) and stolen bases (51), but is also close to the mark in hits, sitting only eight away from a new Urban Knights record which right now stands at 102, set by outfielder Ryan Worley. Stefen Henderson is also on the verge of a couple marks himself, most notably the home run record. The Knights current home run leader is Chris Vargas, who had seven in his career, and Henderson's six homers rank second. Pitcher Zach Mexicano is leading the ART U pitchers in wins (3), and is only six strikeouts away from Darnell Quinney's 96 career punch-outs.

WHAT'S ON DECK
The Knights will finish their four-game series with the Red Storm and then hit the road to take on PacWest newcomer Cal Baptist for a three-game set from Feb. 16-18. The next ART U home game will be a three-game set against Northwest Nazarene from Feb. 23-25.