CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears had waited 345 days to play baseball again, and now their 2021 season opener has been delayed another seven days due to winter weather.

When the Bears do finally take the field for the first time on Friday afternoon at Missouri State, they will not only be a hungry squad but an experienced and deep one as well. Nine of UCA's 12 seniors from last season that saw their season cut short after 16 games due to covid-19, have returned for a second _ and hopefully full _ senior season.

"With some of them, it's almost like having another coach on the field,' said UCA head coach Allen Gum, entering his 11th season at the school. "They've been around a long time, they know our system. They've done a really good job with all the young players coming in. It's meant a lot to us having them back, no question about that. And I think it's meant a lot to the young players, also. 

"One, they got their (senior) season cut short, and now they want to finish what they started. And that's great. But now it's allowed some of them to get their master's (degree), or start on it. So on the academic side, it's been great for them as well.'

Aside from the return of the nine seniors, the Bears have the biggest roster possibly in school history due to NCAA rules that allowed all student-athletes whose season was cut short last spring to receive a "free" year of eligibility. The Bears have 47 players on their roster heading into Friday's opener at Missouri State.

"We've had a lot of players, the biggest roster I've ever coached for sure,' said Gum, who is the winningest coach in UCA baseball history. "We just make it work. Coach (Nick) Harlan and Coach (Justin) Cunningham both come from NAIA programs where they had JV programs, so they're a little more used to it. It's just a little more time, a little more effort. But like I said, with the seniors, they've been a big help. (Nathaniel) Sagdahl, when we got things going, he's working the catchers. 

"So we really haven't thought too much about it. One thing it has allowed us to do in the fall, we got to intrasquad a lot more because we had so many pitchers. As far as playing time, there is just going to have to be a little bit of patience with some guys, knowing that we have a big roster and a lot of our seniors are back. But I think so far it's been a real positive thing.'

One area where the expanded rosters will come in handy in 2021 is with the pitching staff. The Southland Conference voted to move from three-game weekend series to four games, putting a premium on pitching depth. UCA will be replacing two aces from last year's team in Gavin Stone, an MLB draftee of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Noah Cameron, who had off-season surgery and will miss the season.

"There's no question we have more arms, and we need some to step up,' said Gum. "Like I told them one day, (Gavin) Stone got drafted in the fifth round and Noah (Cameron) is not going to be with us this year. But I think they've taken that and they've really been working hard on just developing and getting better at what they do every day. Coach Harlan is doing a great job with them. But yeah, there are some guys who are going to need to step up.

"We have some young arms who are going to end up playing a big role this year also.'

Gum said his favorite part of the 2021 team so far is just that, they are a team.

"What I like is that every day we've been out on the field it's been a joy,' he said. "They're fun to coach. And that's a thing we finally started doing in recruiting is, let's make sure we recruit guys that we want to be around every day. And it's been a joy. They work hard, they're diligent, and they're just good teammates. They are more about complementing the team, more about being what's best for the team instead of being the best on the team.

"They are just working hard to complement each other. Talent level, I don't know how high it is. But I know this, they enjoy each other and they enjoy coming out to the field every day.'

Gum also likes the overall makeup of this squad.

"I think we're a balanced team. I don't see one area where I could just day, 'Oh man, we're really, really good there.' And I could have said it last year with Stone and Noah, our weekend starters and then you had Conner (Williams) on the back end. We were really good there last year. But this year I just think we're a balanced team. 

"We're solid defensively, I think we can score runs even when we're not hitting, I think we'll be able to do that. And with the pitching, we've got numbers and more guys that can pitch on the back end and a little more depth.'

 A few of the newcomers to watch, according to Gum, are pitchers Trent Gregson (Longview, Texas), Jack Haley (Sherwood, Ark.) and Tate Busey (Pea Ridge, Ark.), along with outfielder Drew Sturgeon (Farmington, Ark.).

"Those freshman, even though they came in will nine seniors back, some of them have already stepped up,' said Gum. "We really like the freshman class, but there are certainly two or three that you're going to hear a lot about. I think you're going to hear their names quite a bit.' 

The Bears' 2021 schedule is formidable, to say the least, beginning with the new opening weekend series against the MSU Bears at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.

"Tough schedule for sure,' said Gum. "Ole Miss on a weekday, Arkansas on a weekday, and both of those after a four-game (weekend) series. And they will only be playing three (on the weekend). A three-game series at Oklahoma State, and then Missouri State. Really solid schedule.'

The weekend schedule has games at 3 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.