LAWTON - The Cameron baseball team finally opens the 2021 season and is ready set the tone with a good mix of Aggie veterans and newcomers in year two under head coach Kyle Williams.

The 2021 Aggie baseball season was set to begin the first weekend in February, but due to COVID-19 protocols, that three-game set against Texas A&M-Kingsville was postponed. A week later, a freak winter storm that impacted most of Oklahoma and Texas made travel hazardous and postponed CU's trip to St. Edwards for three games.

Due to over six-inches of snow in Lawton this week, McCord Field would not be playable for the upcoming series against WT. However, it was agreed by both athletic directors and coaches to move the series to Canyon, Texas on Sunday and Monday, allowing the Aggies to open their season. The two teams will play a double-header on Sunday, Feb. 21, starting at 1 p.m. and then will meet back up at 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22, to wrap up the series. 

Prior to the COVID-19 cancelation of the 2020 Lone Star Conference baseball season, the Cameron Aggies posted a 6-16 record and had yet to win a game away from McCord Field. However, many inside the program would tell you that was a deceptive 6-16. With the Aggies being on the wrong side of 8 games that were decided by 4 runs or less.

The Black and Gold a year ago found a lot of success at the friendly confines of McCord Field touting a 6-5 record, which is good news for Aggie fans as CU will play at home 21 times and only go on the road for 15 contests. 

The Aggies will look to power hitters to lift their offense "We have an offense that can play for power in our ballpark, which is traditionally one of the bigger parks in our conference, so when we go on the road I think that will help us even more." CU head coach Kyle Williams explained. Jayce Clem will be in the heart of the Aggie order looking to provide pop as he is the home run leader from a year ago amongst returners (3), drove in 15 runs a year ago in 67 at-bats, and also slapped a pair of doubles to bring his slugging percentage to .403 good enough for fourth amongst Black and Gold returners. The Randlett, Okla. native will also contribute on the bump for CU. 

Ryan Carter will look to lead the Aggies at the dish as well, a year ago he turned in a .236 average, a .706-OPS, .405-slugging, and an on-base percentage of .321. Carter posted seven doubles, a team-high, and a part of home runs which helped him drive in 11 runs.

The change to the schedule this year will be big for the Aggie pitching staff, a year ago "We had to prepare for a 4-game series and to go pitch for 32 innings. This year we only have 3-games. We are not really looking for guys [out of the bullpen] to stretch out over 4 or 5 innings because you have to save guys for other games. We are excited to see what these guys do, and what they can do in shorter stints." 

The ace of the Cameron staff this year will be Michael Womack, the Lawton, Okla. native who became the Friday starter for CU a year ago making 5 starts to the tune of a 7.71 ERA, a 1.79 WHIP, 29 strikeouts in 28 innings, with opponents hitting just .255 against him tying him for the second-lowest batting average against on the Aggie staff (min. 10 innings pitched). 

Womack twirled a one-hitter against UT Tyler to end the month of February a year ago, giving up two runs and punching out seven hitters in that contest. 

The staff will largely be handled by senior catcher Cooper Edwards who at 23 years old "might have to start walking around with a cane" Aggie Skipper Kyle Williams joked. However, Edwards' leadership will be no joking matter. Edwards, who typically found himself at the end of the batting order, did a good job turning the lineup over a year ago. He had the fifth-best average of any Aggie a year ago (min. 20 at-bats), 4 runs batted in, a pair of homers, and three two-baggers. Behind the plate, Cooper Edwards has also been on the receiving end of a no-hitter in his Aggie career. 

"The conference is very solid as far as Division II conferences go, as far as us being picked 11th, I can not blame anyone for voting us there...I see us finishing better than 11th, but at the same time, we have not put that vision in a lot of people's minds yet. We have to go out and prove it against other people, it is easy to look good in practice." with the expectation being "To compete against every team we go out there against, and finish well within reach of the top-8." according to Williams.