While Major League Baseball teams gear up for the 2011 season, the ISU baseball club is doing the same.

The team plays in the north division of the Mid-America Conference with Iowa, South Dakota, Northern Iowa and Minnesota State-Mankato.

Last season the team finished at the bottom of the conference. With a lot of players returning this season, there are higher expectations.

“We hope to win the conference,” said pitcher and player-coach Tyler Strub. “From there we hope to win our district. There’s teams that can play year-round down in Texas, California and Florida, so I think they have the upper hand on us, but we can still compete with them.”

The challenge at districts would most likely be the defending champion Colorado State Rams.

“I think they’ve won it the last five out of six years,” Strub said. “If we go to districts, we’ll have to knock them off.” 

The hope this season is that with those high expectations, results will follow 

“We’re a large team with a lot of quality athletes. I’m expecting first place,” said player-coach Jeff Peterson.

The team also adds new seniors like Kaleb Hahn. Hahn hoped to play on the Division I team at Iowa State, but it was cut by the athletics department in 2001.

In high school Hahn had a couple of opportunities to play Division II baseball.

“I just didn’t feel like that was the place I wanted to go,” Hahn said. “I just decided to put it on the back burner and go have fun with school.”

Hahn now joins the ISU baseball team he’s heard so much about in his senior year. 

“I haven’t had the time,” Hahn said. “I’ve heard good things and heard they were about having fun. I’m hoping just to get back to what I was at one point.”

The team will begin their season with a spring training trip to Plant City, Fla., and Mike Sansone Community Park over Spring Break. 

“The grass is really short, and it’s kind of like a putting green,” Strub said. “We’re excited to get down there and be able to play ball.”

The team will face Tennessee, Indiana, Bradley and Wisconsin during their time in Florida. 

“I know Indiana was ranked last year, and we beat them in spring training,” Strub said. “When we beat them, it shows we can compete with anybody.”

The team is looking to figure out its starting lineup during spring training as well as transitioning from indoors to outside.

“It’s the first time we’re outside,” Peterson said. “It’s a big change.”

The Cyclones will travel to Plant City, Fla., March 14-18 before beginning the regular season March 26 at St. Louis University.