So, one week after colliding with So. OF Daniel Gonzales-Luna while pursuing a fly ball in shallow right field and suffering a bruised left elbow plus a head gash that required multiple stitches to close, Fr. 2B Michael Ratterree went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in his first intrasquad appearance since. Suffice it to say that Ratterree will be available for the opener at Stanford.

"It's good to see Ratterree come back and obviously be ready to play," The OG said. "That (the arm injury) was a concern."

Following the Owls' penultimate intrasquad of the preseason on Monday, The OG revealed his opening weekend rotation as well as several of the players poised to make the trip to NoCal, but acknowledged that he won't complete his travel roster until Tuesday evening. The OG has decided on 26 of the 28 who will travel, with three Owls battling for the final two roster slots.

Here are the starters for the Owls-Cardinal non-conference series at Sunken Diamond:

Friday: So. LHP Taylor Wall (7-6, 3.72 ERA in 2009) vs. So. LHP Brett Mooneyham (6-3, 4.14)
Saturday: Sr. RHP Jared Rogers (4-1, 6.15) vs. So. RHP Jordan Pries (4-4, 4.62)
Sunday: Jr. LHP Tony Cingrani (5-4, 3.51 w/South Suburban College) vs. So. LHP Scott Snodgress (1-3, 5.85)

Rogers gets the nod over RS Fr. RHP Anthony Fazio for two reasons. On Sunday, Rogers allowed just two runs over five innings, but better still was his command of the sinking fastball. Rogers has built his velocity to 87-90, and by consistently pitching at the knees he earned an opportunity to prove that his finishing kick last season was no fluke. Second, Fazio has yet to make his Division I debut, so instead of choosing Stanford as the location for his initial start, The OG is leaning toward using Fazio in relief in advance of a midweek start against Texas State or Lamar. With Fazio "still hunting for command of his breaking ball," the call to allow him to get his feet wet on the road before notching his first career start makes perfect sense.

The OG pulled Jr. LHP Abel Gonzales and Sr. RHP Mark Haynes early on Monday because he anticipates both might help the staff this weekend. Others expected to see mound time against the Cardinal: Fr. RHP Chase McDowell, So. RHP Matthew Reckling, Jr. RHP Boogie Anagnostou, Jr. LHP Doug Simmons, Fazio and the aforementioned weekend rotation.

McDowell is almost sure to see action, for The OG feels the need for McDowell and Fazio to take their "maiden voyage" as Division I players. Additionally, McDowell, who homered off Gonzales on Monday, is likely the first lefthanded pinch hitter off the bench. If So. OF Jeremy Rathjen is in the starting lineup as the designated hitter, Fr. IF Tyler Spurlin could fill the role as the righthanded pinch hitter in the event the Owls actually need one against the Cardinal.

The OG did not broach this subject, but Anagnostou seems like a prime candidate to close. He has flashed a good curveball during intrasquads and hit 93 with his fastball on Sunday. A likely scenario involves his sharing the job with Simmons during the first weeks of the season.