One only needs to see the cover of the NIU baseball media guide to know where the team’s strength lies.

Featured on the cover are pitchers Trevor Feeney, Matt Jernstad, Brandon Copp and Brian Smith. Clearly, pitching is in the forefront.

“We feel that we do have pitching strength,” NIU head coach Ed Mathey said. “But we have new roles that have to be assured.”

Those new pitching roles include finding replacements for NIU saves leader Matt German and MAC career appearances leader Mark Badgley, both of whom have moved on to professional baseball.

Mathey said the loss of German specifically hurts.

“When you lose a guy in the back of the bullpen, everyone has to move back,” Mathey said.

Taking German’s spot is junior Andy Deain. Last season, Deain ranked second in the MAC with 33 appearances, tied for the team lead with six victories and recorded the third-lowest opponents’ batting average on the team at .265.

The front of the pitching staff also brings experience for NIU. The Huskies will especially rely on ace Trevor Feeney.

The returning pitching experience is a huge addition to the team, according to Feeney.

“It’s something a lot of teams don’t have and will help us through the season,” the senior said. “It’s a great thing to have in big games. They’ve seen everything you can see.”

Last season, Feeney had six victories in 14 appearances, tying for the team lead. He also threw two complete games in 98 1-3 innings of total work.

A welcome addition to the team is pitcher Brian Smith, who missed all of last season due to bone spurs in his throwing elbow.

Mathey said that prior to last season, an argument could be made that Smith was the team’s No. 1 starter.

However, like the pitching rotation, the Huskies will have to find key replacement players on the other side of the mound.

Gone are the MAC career hit leader in first baseman Scott Simon and a second-team All-MAC third baseman in Jesse Seykora.

Seykora’s replacement was an easy find. Freshman All-American Jordin Hood moves from second to third. Hood said that third base is a more natural positionm and he played it through high school.

Last season, Hood tied for second on the team in home runs with six. The sophomore batted in 29 runs while hitting .294.

Mathey knows that the focus is on Hood this year.

“Last season, teams weren’t going to let Scott Simon beat them. Jordin is going to have that happen to him this year,” Mathey said. “He’s got to not get too aggressive.”

Who will take over for Hood at second is still up in the air. Senior Tim Kamin, freshman Marvin Sanchez and sophomore Joey Buonavolanto are all in the mix for the position.

Mathey is in no hurry to name a starter yet.

“We have three guys battling,” Mathey said. “By conference season, if there’s not a lead guy, there should be an indication.”

Offensively, Hood said that with the lack of power hitters on the team, the team will have to rely more on getting on base and using speed.

“We have to use speed to our advantage and play small baseball,” Hood said.

The Huskies start the season today with two games in Suprise, Ariz. NIU plays Portland at 1 p.m. MST and Hawaii at 5 p.m. MST.

NIU was supposed to play Southern Illinois this weekend. However, things haven’t gone as planed for Huskies so far this season.

Originally, NIU was to start the season with four games at Texas Tech. But with the Huskies canceling all sporting events because of the Feb. 14 shootings, these games were missed.

Mathey saw the missed Texas Tech games, and said with the weather, more games in the future could be canceled.

He decided to make a call to Arizona State head baseball coach Pat Murphy to see if anything could be arranged.

“He came up with an idea, it grew and he made it work,” Mathey said.

Mathey was looking forward to a snow-less Arizona. The team hasn’t had much of an opportunity to get outside with the weather.

“Baseball is an outside game,” Mathey said. “It’s crucial to get outside in the environment.”