After a back and forth 2010 season, the Davenport baseball team returns to the field this spring with a sense of optimism. Head coach Wes Cummings re-turns 18 players from a year ago and welcomes in 16 new faces to the program. The 2011 Panthers are looking at taking that next step forward as they continue to build their program in only its third year.

After finishing in a tie for 3rd place in the league a year ago, the Panthers are hoping to use a deeper pitching staff and a more balanced offensive attack to go along with a solid defensive core to move up in the standings. Davenport unfortunately was on the outside looking in as the WHAC tournament due to various tiebreakers after finishing 9-11 during the conference slate and 21-28 overall. The pitching staff will be very deep and balanced for coach Cummings as Tucker Gernhard (Stafford, Va.) returns from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss almost all of the 2010 campaign. In his inaugural year for DU in 2009, Tucker led the Panthers with a perfect 6-0 record while striking out 68 batters in 62.1 innings in route to being named 1st team All-WHAC.

Seniors Zak Gonzalez (Comstock Park, Mich.), Greg Bartlett (Hemlock, Mich.) and Gordon Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) will hope to make an impact in the rotation as well as the bullpen in 2011. Also returning for DU are juniors Andy Westerburg (Spring Lake, Mich.) and Jarrett Luyk (Hudsonville, Mich.) who earned honorable mention All-WHAC honors last season. They are joined by new-comers Matt Loomis (Alma, Mich.), a transfer from Central Michigan University and Drew Kennedy (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) who hails from Muskegon CC. Matt's brother Colton, a freshman from Shepherd HS will also see significant playing time this season. Rounding out the pitching staff is sophomore Cody VanKoevering (Jenison, Mich.) who posted a strong debut to his college career in 2010.

The offense and field positions have some familiar faces and some fresh new additions led by the five infield positions. Derrick Gentile (Sturgis, Mich.) returns for his junior campaign after a breakout sophomore season that was highlighted by a Gold Glove award from the conference. He will again man the third base position and will play opposite of senior Dan Brown (Bay City, Mich.) who posted seven homeruns in his Davenport debut last season.

The middle of the infield will feature returner Travis Laver (Holland, Mich.) who also won a Gold Glove in the WHAC last season as well as newcomers Chris VanGessel (Grandville, Mich.) and Jordan Bigger (Rockford, Ill.). The two are junior college transfers and spent time here at Davenport last spring but did not compete during the season. Transfer Drew Kennedy (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) will also see time as a utility infielder and pitcher.

The outfield will see four players fill the three spots with Brandon Bongard (Grand Rapids, Mich.) leading the way in centerfield. Captain Rob Bolster (Blissfield, Mich.) will again play in left while Matt McNeil (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) will play mostly right field. Junior Brian Spykerman (Anaheim, Calif.), who has seen action behind the plate and in the outfield during his first two years will rotate through the outfield depending on certain pitching matchups.

After graduating Jake Loomans who caught the past two years behind the plate, DU turns to newcomer Mike Allen (Midland, Mich.), a sophomore transfer from Grand Rapids CC who will bring a big bat to the lineup as well as good leadership for the pitching staff.

The schedule in 2010 was as tough as Davenport has seen in their short three year history but the coaching staff has kept up with that same mind-set as DU faces a stiff test from some of the best NAIA schools as well as many NCAA foes. Highlighting the non-conference slate is the Panthers trip to Florida where they will face Webber International, Warner Uni- versity and Southeastern all on the road before taking part in the Russ Matt Challenge at various sites.

The Panthers will open up the WHAC slate with a double- header against Concordia at home as the conference takes a new approach to the schedule with all four games against each opponent at one site. DU will also host newcomer Northwestern Ohio as well as rival Aquinas College while hitting the road against defending WHAC champion Madonna as well as Indiana Tech and Siena Heights.