The old saying of "nothing can stop us now, not even rain, sleet or snow" might have begun when coaches were talking about college baseball in the months of February and March. That could very well be the case when the Lee baseball team opens the 2022 season at the University of North Georgia (Dahlonega, Ga.) with single games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 
  
The weather forecast in the mountains of north Georgia could certainly be worse. The high will be 59 Friday morning, then the rain follows, and the temperature begins falling during the afternoon and evening. Saturday should be much better, sunny with a high of 55, and showers could return on Sunday with a high of 46. Friday's first pitch will be at 4 p.m. and game times on Saturday and Sunday will be 1 p.m. Have no fear of postponements, the entire infield and outfield at Bob Stein Stadium is covered with artificial turf. 
  
Coach Mark Brew says his Flames have spent some tough days in January getting players acclimated to weather. "We may play in tough weather conditions, so it is important our team has done a great job of being focused on that preparation," he stated.
 
"Overall, our schedule is very tough, probably the toughest I have ever put together. There's no reason other than having quality teams challenging us daily. One thing we learned last year at the NCAA South Regional is that it takes not only talent, but some serious toughness to advance. I am hopeful this schedule will have us battle ready and tough-minded by tournament time." 
  
The Flames have not faced North Georgia since 2005 when both teams were NAIA powers and members of the SSAC. The Nighthawks hold a 4-3 edge in the series and are currently a Peach Belt and NCAA DII power. "Coach (Tom) Cantrell has done this for a long time (23^rd season at North Georgia) and with an incredible amount of success," noted Brew. "They have power in the line-up and return their ace (pitcher. They are also very good at defending their home field. It will be a great opportunity for us to find out a lot about our team early."  
 
A pair of preseason NCBWA All-Americans lead the team. Senior outfielder Crews Taylor hit .303 last season with 15 doubles, 15 homers and 46 RBI. Junior designated hitter Nik Levensteins brings power to the dish, sporting a .338 average, 19 home runs and 62 RBI last spring. A veteran pitching staff will likely send senior right-hander Cade Heil to the hill. The workhorse pitched in over 80 innings last season and posted an 8-1 record.  
  
Coach Brew lost some key players from his outstanding 2021 team that finished with a 36-11 record. "We don't have the experience we had last year, but we have some really talented players on this team" he quickly explained. "Connecting all three phases of the game (pitching, hitting, fielding) together at same time will be paramount for this team. Our chemistry is good, and our work ethic is there as well. Getting production throughout the roster will help us overcome the lack of experience early this season." 
  
The team's health is always a concern, especially with COVID and the GSC and NCAA protocols still in place. "We are way healthier than when we began the semester," stressed Brew. "At this point, all our players are in practice and doing well, but we know it can change rapidly in today's environment. We have some that will miss the year with surgeries, and we are hopeful to get (senior pitching ace) Alan Zhang Carter back in the near future." 
  
Senior shortstop Thomas Zazzaro returns as a two-year starter to help lead the Flames. Graduate senior third baseman Justen Freeman returns will help make the team solid on the left side of the infield. Junior outfielder and infielder Dylan Standifer is coming off an eye-catching fall, while redshirt sophomore Brandon Daniels came on strong in 2021 and his left-handed bat will be counted on.
 
"We will have to create runs in different ways this year. Last year we had great team power and ability to hit. I do believe this team will continue to develop in those two areas and can hit, but we need to be able to create runs and big innings in different ways.  Running game, short game, and being able to get walks and hit by pitches will allow us to have traffic on the bases and make our hits timelier," added the Lee coach. 
  
Three new names have been announced as Lee pitching starters this weekend. Miguel Alba, a right-handed junior transfer from Florida International, will work game one. Jack Nedrow, a freshman right-hander from Murfreesboro Seigel High School will get the call on day two and redshirt freshman Sam Fulton, a right-hander from Chattanooga State is slated for the Sunday start. "We are going to plan on pitching to win," said Brew in closing, "but this time of the year you must create a plan of pitch counts that continues to allow our pitchers to develop as the year goes forward. It wouldn't surprise me if everyone throws this weekend because of nine innings each day, so all should be ready to go."