Utah was plagued with injury in 2019 — a run of bad luck that impacted the layout of the entire squad and pushed freshmen to the forefront.

A season that ended with a less than favorable 16-33 mark wasn’t all bad,though. Head coach Bill Kinneberg’s team got invaluable experience across the roster, which has breathed optimism into the clubhouse as we embark upon 2020.

Watch Utah at the Kleberg Bank College Classic LIVE on FloBaseball

In his 17th season at the helm, Kinneberg has brought in a new associate head coach, Gary Henderson, to help focus on pitching. Henderson has over 30 years of experience, including his stint as interim head coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs where he led them to Omaha.

While most of the team is returning, the Utes will still feel the loss of five seniors, including Oliver Dunn. Dunn was a stalwart at second base in 2019, hitting .366 and 45 runs. After being drafted in the 11th round by the Yankees, he is now playing for their Class-A affiliate, the Charlotte RiverDogs.

Utah will also be forced to fill holes left by the departure of senior outfielders Chris Anderson and Erick Migueles.

One major thing this group has going for them is their versatility. The ability to move players around is a big asset the Utes can use to their advantage. 

Junior Matt Richardson played shortstop most of last season but might shift over to second to give freshman Kayler Yates room to enter the every day lineup. Another big utility guy, senior Chase Fernlund, put in time at shortstop, third and first. Junior Shea Kramer can also go in and out of positions after playing both first base and outfield last season. 

All of these options give Kinneberg great flexibility to find the right balance on the diamond. That said, this team would benefit from finding some consistency sooner rather than later. 

Bringing in Henderson to help out with the rotation is a great get for Utah. Redshirt senior Kyle Robeniol is back after logging just eight appearances in an injury plagued 2019. Two other pitchers back from injury are junior Ian MacIver and redshirt sophomore Justin Kelly.

The Utes lost a lefty recruit, Porter Hodge, after he was drafted by the Cubs. Hopefully Henderson can work with this group and solidify some results for the bullpen.

Sophomores David Watson and Briley Knight put in work this past summer in the collegiate West Coast League. Knight, who was named the league’s MVP, will be working out of centerfield and serving as a top of the lineup guy this season. Watson went 5-1 with a 4.05 ERA  this summer and is expected to be a weekend starter in 2020.

This season starts off with a stretch of 16 road games, which will test the early development and cohesiveness of this group.

You can watch Utah take on Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, Missouri and Kansas State at the Kleberg Classic on Feb. 21-23, live on FloBaseball.