With cold weather, a strong conference and a 1997 losing record, the Iowa State baseball team has several obstacles to overcome this season.

But from the looks of this year’s club, the Cyclones might be able to turn things around and finish higher than they did last year, which was an overall record of 21-31 overall and last place conference finish with a 6-21 mark.

To do that, ISU Coach Lyle Smith will rely on a mix of crafty veterans and talented young Cyclone players.

ISU is led by seven seniors, including pitchers Steve Larkin, Jason Mathys, Shawn Sedlacek and Jake Whitney.

First baseman Shawn Leimbek, catcher Matt McDonough and third baseman Bill Uelmen provide the upperclassmen core of the Cyclone infield.

Smith said, “The guys have done a very good job of providing us that senior leadership that sometimes might be lacking.”

“We have some guys who’ve been through the wars, so they have a little better taste of what they need to do as performers on this level,” he said.

In addition, Smith said the team has “a number of good young players.”

One is sophomore outfielder Aaron Runk, who last season earned honorable mention all-conference accolades after hitting a team-best .366.

Also expected to give the Cyclones a lift is true freshman centerfielder Jeff Duncan. Duncan, who homered in the Cyclones’ season-opening victory at Creighton, was drafted out of high school by the Chicago Cubs.

One thing that pleases Smith is his Cyclone crew’s potential. He said the team possesses quickness and strength.

“We feel good that we have good athleticism on the team, perhaps better than we’ve had in past years,” he said. “We hope we can get them to carry it over to the playing field.”

Smith hopes to have a steady all-around club, with all three facets of the game — hitting, pitching and fielding — looking solid.

Cyclone Bill Uelmen, an honorable mention All-Big 12 player, leads the team’s offense. The clean-up hitter belted 13 homers last season, drove in 42 runs and hit .360.

The third baseman said he thinks the team has the potential to put up big numbers on the board with a line-up that features speed at the top and power in the middle.

This year, Uelmen not only has set his sights on individual achievements, but has a larger team goal in mind.

“I just want to make it to the Big 12 [Tourney],” he said. Only six of the 11 conference teams (Colorado does not have a squad) qualify for the league tournament.

Outfielder Runk said the team’s offensive weapons will allow the team to score runs in bunches, manufacture single tallies and win games with the long ball.

This balance will be a key to success during the 60-game season.

“We’ve got team speed and power, which is something we didn’t have a lot of last year,” Runk said.

The Cyclone pitching staff also differs from those who threw in past years.

“We don’t have ‘the stars’ that we’ve had in the past, and I think that’s fine,” Smith said. “I think we’ve got a bunch of talented guys, and we’ve been working extremely hard.”

He said the team has four or five quality starter pitchers capable of hurling strong innings and keeping the Cyclones in the ball game.

ISU will also try to get rid of the stigma that it are not a particularly strong defensive team. Last year, the Cyclones committed 20 more errors than its opponents.

Smith said the biggest defensive improvements have been made in the outfield.

But the players look to another aspect of the team which may make the biggest difference in numbers of wins this season — team unity.

Smith said, “We’ve been trying to build the team concept from day one.”

And his players say that it has worked and will equal victories.

Smith said the Big 12, rated the fifth toughest conference last season, will be strong once again. He said the early season title contenders include Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

The southern teams have the advantage in the conference because they are able to play outdoors much of the calendar year, while the Cyclones have been forced to practice inside the Rec Center.

But Smith said that is no excuse.

“That means we just have a greater challenge and have to work harder,” he said. “The challenge obviously is to try to play winning baseball when your first 22 games are on the road. So we have to be extremely mentally tough and play good fundamental baseball.”

“You’ve got to take a good consistent attitude into every game,” Smith said. “[We can’t] just throw our gloves out there and win.”

Runk is excited about the prospects the conference season holds.

He said, “I think everyone’s gunning to make the Big 12 Tournament. I think we’re going to surprise some people.”