CHICAGO -- UIC is set to begin the 2017 season this weekend when it travels to New Orleans, La., for the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Invitational. The Flames will open the season with a twinbill against Prairie View A&M on Friday, Feb. 17 before tangling with New Orleans and Grambling State on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Selected to finish second in the Horizon League in the preseason coaches poll that was unveiled this week, UIC's roster features a solid mix of talented returning players and promising newcomers who figure to make a significant impact in the lineup and on the pitching staff.

Now in his 19^th season as the Flames' skipper, head coach Mike Dee welcomes back 2016 ABCA/Rawlings All-Mideast Region honoree David Cronin at second base and fellow All-Horizon League First Team selection Ricardo Ramirez at first base. Another fixture on the infield, senior Cody Bohanek, looks to build upon his 2016 Horizon League All-Tournament Team nod. Junior catcher Rob Calabrese returns after a sensational summer in the Northwoods League and sophomore outfielder Scott Ota, an Horizon League All-Freshman Team player in his first season, is also back in the mix for the Flames.
 
UIC also welcomes back redshirt junior Mickey McDonald into the fold. The San Mateo, Calif., native missed the entire 2016 season with an injury, but he was an All-Horizon League First Team honoree in 2015 and a Second Team member, and All-Freshman Team member, in 2014. After spending most of collegiate career at the hot corner, McDonald will transition to the outfield this spring.
 
The Flames boast several experienced arms to anchor the pitching staff in 2017. Senior southpaw Jake Dahlberg, the 2015 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, already ranks 10^th in program history with 14 wins. He will get the ball in the season opener against Prairie View A&M on Friday. Jack Andersen, a fifth-year senior, also figures to play a prominent role on the mound after rehabilitating from an injury in 2016. He will make his first start of the season in game two against the Panthers.

Another senior arm, Connor Ryan, spent time as a starter and in the bullpen a year ago, ranking ninth in the conference in both ERA (3.78) and opponent's batting average (.253). Dee plans to begin the tall right-hander at the back end of his bullpen as the campaign gets under way this week.

The roster is loaded with talented newcomers as well. Catcher Bowen Ogata was voted by his teammates and coaches as one of the squad's Top Newcomers in the Fall Ball Awards. The Boise, Idaho, native also shared Best Offensive Player plaudits with Cronin. Last year the junior drove in 20 runs and batted .286 at Mt. Hood.
 
Ogata shared the Newcomer Award with right-handed pitcher Jacob Key. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native helped Sigel H.S. win a 2016 Class AAA Tennessee state championship last spring and he was a finalist for his home state's "Mr. Baseball" award. Key is slated to make his collegiate debut as UIC's starting pitcher on Saturday afternoon at New Orleans.

The probable pitching matchups for this weekend are below with UIC listed first:
Friday vs. Prairie View A&M (game one) -- LHP Jake Dahlberg vs. RHP Edgar Sanchez
Friday vs. Prairie View A&M (game two) -- RHP Jack Andersen vs. RHP Edgar Sanchez
Saturday vs. New Orleans -- RHP Jacob Key vs. RHP Riley Hodge
Sunday vs. Grambling State -- RHP Reid Birlingmair vs. TBA