The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.

The College of San Mateo baseball team had just saw its season end in a Super Regional playoff series at Feather River College in Quincy. But during the middle of a nearly six-hour bus ride back home, several players saw a field and commented they wanted to go out and play again.

Never mind the fact that the Bulldogs had suffered two heart-breaking losses — both by a single run — thus denying them a spot in the championship game of the Super Regional for the right to advance to the State Final Four.

With a healthy nucleus returning, CSM is poised to get back to California Community College baseball’s grandest stage. Of course, the road to the Final Four is not an easy one, but the Bulldogs are loaded with talent, well coached and possessing plenty of motivation. CSM opens the season on Friday at home against Sierra — the team that ended the Bulldogs’ season last year.

“Everyone is so motivated to get back where we were last year at the very least and hopefully surpass that,” said second baseman/shortstop Jarrod Hopper, who took a grayshirt last year after suffering torn ligaments in his wrist two weeks into the season. “We have a pretty well balanced lineup, guys who can steal bases and our pitching is strong.”

Hopper and center fielder Trevor Pasiecznik — who also suffered the same injury as Hopper and took a grayshirt — are two of the dozen-plus players who are expected to have an impact for the powerhouse CSM program, which won the Coast Conference Golden Gate Division championship last season.

The Bulldogs return several key players and as usual added some notable newcomers to the mix, including shortstop Riley Golding, pitcher Zack Sanford, center fielder Justin Maffei, right fielder Joey Wallace and pitcher/shortstop Ryan Allgrove, who played at Fresno State last year. Wallace played at Nevada-Reno last season and is the cousin of CSM sophomore pitcher Glenn Wallace, who was one of the team’s closers in 2009 but might also start this season, Hopper said.

“Might” is the key word for all the players, because right now only the CSM coaches know who will be starting on Friday. So far they’ve kept the players in the dark about the starting lineup, thus promoting heavy competition among a number of talented standouts. Bulldogs manager Doug Williams isn’t about to let his standouts get too confident, and what better way to keep his players on a even keel then by breeding intense competition.

“We’re pretty much kept in the dark (about projected starting lineups),” Hopper said. “We have no idea yet even with opening day just around the corner. Doug will probably let us know right before the first game. The way we look at it is, we’re all so close in ability and that competition is so tight, it’s going to make us a better team. We’re all pushing each other to get better everyday. Of course you want to be out there, but whoever’s out there you have to be happy about it and support them. After having to sit out last year, I cannot wait to get back out there.”

CSM returns left-handed starter Josh Trejo, a former Major League Baseball draft pick. Trejo is poised to have another strong season after being limited somewhat innings-wise last season coming off an injury. Now fully healthy, Trejo has dominant ace-type stuff. Other pitchers who should figure into the mix include 6-foot-7 sinker-baller Sanford, along with returning sophomore Josh Saio, who could start or be used in long relief.

CSM’s lineup looks to be powerful yet again. It returns powerful first baseman/third baseman O’Koyea Dickson, second baseman Thomas Wood, first baseman/third baseman Andrew Suvunnachuen, outfielder Pat Burford and catcher/first baseman/outfielder Chris Schindler. Dickson, Burford and Joey Wallace possess plenty of power, but the strength of the CSM lineup one through nine is it has players who are versatile enough to hit for average, power and put down a bunt in key situations. It doesn’t matter if it’s Dickson or the No. 9 hitter, everyone is looked upon to do what’s good for the team.

“We’re all team players and it doesn’t matter who it is, but we’ll lay a bunt down and do what’s best for the team,” Hopper said. “We take pride in playing the game right and being able to execute in clutch situations.”