After a disappointing season last spring, the Georgetown baseball team takes the field for the first time in 2011 this weekend in Davidson, N.C. The Hoyas will play Davidson on Friday and Saturday before taking on Army on Sunday.

After finishing last in the Big East last season with a conference record of 5-22 and an overall record of 24-31, the Blue and Gray were picked to finish at the bottom of the Big East again in this year’s preseason rankings. For Head Coach Pete Wilk, the ranking did not come as a surprise, but he also doesn’t want it to define his team.

“We have to earn our way out of that thing,” he said. “What place were we in last year? Last. So, I don’t give that any credence. Who cares? We have to earn our way out of there, and we haven’t done it yet.”

As any coach can attest, the path to improvement begins in the offseason, and Wilk was very pleased with his team’s work this fall and winter. Although the team did not do anything differently than in offseasons past, Wilk thought his training system fit the 2011 team well.

“I think this group has grasped the commitment and accountability level better than most teams I’ve had,” he said.

Led by captains senior infielder Sean Lamont, junior infielder/outfielder Andy Lentz and redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Tommy Isaacs, the Hoyas return most of their starting lineup from last season. Of those returnees, Wilk is depending on consistency and stability from Lamont, senior catcher and preseason all-Big East selection Erick Fernandez, senior first baseman Dan Capeless and junior outfielder Rand Ravnaas.

“Our captains have done a nice job so far, but it’s easy to captain a team that’s 0-0 going into the season. Everyone feels pretty good. I would imagine even the [Pittsburgh] Pirates feel pretty good right about now.”

There are some new faces in the Georgetown lineup that Wilk also thinks will contribute immediately. After sitting out last season following his transfer from Stanford, redshirt sophomore Mike Garza will take over at shortstop, something the coaching staff and team are excited about.

“He’s going to sure up our defense, and his bat will play in any league,” Wilk said.

After dabbling at both catcher and outfield last season, sophomore Justin Leeson will permanently take over the center-fielding job this season. In terms of freshmen, Wilk expects right-handers Alex Baker and Stan Rowe and first baseman Steve Anderson to see the field.

With a veteran group, the Hoyas should be able to get men on base this season and play solid defense. The one question Georgetown has going into this season, though, is about its pitching.

“It all comes down to what the pitching staff can and cannot do,” Wilk said.

This weekend senior southpaw Alex Meyer and junior Will Harris will get the starts against Davidson, with 6-foot-5 junior Bobby Kirby taking the mound against Army. In order for the Hoyas to have any success this season, they will need their weekend starters to not only perform but also to stay healthy.

“[Meyer and Harris] both have an injury history,” Wilk said. “If they stay healthy, I think we’re going to be pretty good. If they break down, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Another key to the staff will be Issacs, who led the team with 14 starts and was fourth in the Big East with an opponents’ batting average of .249 last season. He will need to pitch well again this year to provide Georgetown with depth in the rotation.

In order for the Hoyas to come away from Davidson with their first wins of the season, the pitching staff will have to play a key role. The Wildcats’ lineup features preseason all-Southern Conference second-team members senior first baseman Danny Weiss and sophomore third baseman Andrew Barna. Weiss led the team with a .368 batting average and .536 slugging percentage last season, and Barna garnered all-American honors from Collegiate Baseball in 2010 with a .329 batting average and a team-best 17 doubles and 52 runs batted in.

“They just don’t beat themselves,” Wilk said of the Wildcats. “We’re going to have to go down there and beat them. We’ve done it in the past, but we’ve also gone down there and beat ourselves in the past. It’s a comparable program, and they are certainly beatable.”

The first pitch of Georgetown’s season is set for 5:30 p.m. today at Davidson.