There could be some familiar faces in new places for Western Michigan University's baseball team this season.

To make sure the Broncos have the best defenders on the field and best bats in the lineup, head coach Billy Gernon is planning on moving around players maybe more than usual as the season starts on Friday through Sunday with a three-game series against Pittsburgh in Port Charlotte, Fla.

Gernon has a veteran pitching staff returning and 15 position players who can play, well, a lot of positions and he plans on mixing and matching those players in a number of different defensive spots.

For example, junior Tanner Mally, an All-MAC defensive team center fielder and .356 hitter last season, could also play shortstop or maybe even second base at times. He was recruited as a shortstop in the first place.

"Whatever the team needs, I'll play," Mally said. "I love the game and I just want to be out there."

"When you look at our 30-man roster, I have six or seven guys who can play multiple positions and I really like that," Gernon said. "It allows you to enhance your culture and keep guys happier, involved and playing and you have more depth than you think because of the versatility.

"Tanner can play center, short or second. Michael Maloney can play second, third or shortstop. Senior outfielder Connor Ostrander can also play second or third, or even short in a pinch. Mark Mennecke can play left field or first base and Drew Howard and Mason Pilarski can play any infield position."

If Gernon really wants to push it, he could switch around infielders before an opponent's batter comes to the plate.

First of all, though, it comes down to pitching, and with nine pitchers returning from last season (19-32 overall, 12-18 Mid-American Conference) he likes what he's seeing in preseason practices.

"Right now, I'm optimistic in that it looks like our pitching is going to be our strength," Gernon said. "We have some depth, experience and we have Ricky Kidd, a transfer from Michigan, who is going to be in our rotation to start the season."

In the three-game series against Pittsburgh, Gernon's plan is to start senior Ty McKinstry (3-7, 5.02 ERA, struck out 51 last season) on Friday, redshirt junior Sam Carlisle (Portage Northern grad who transferred from Purdue Northwest) on Saturday and Kidd on Sunday. As is usual at the start of the season, all will be on a pitch count, so Gernon plans on using several pitchers in each game. Relievers like fifth-year player Turner Doran (team leading 4.21 ERA in 2025), junior Zach Vriesenga, senior Matt Hoover, senior DJ Thompson and junior Evan Shapiro could see action.

Catching will be a platoon system to start with returners senior Diego Pena and sophomore Nolan Zajac. In the mix-and-match department, again, redshirt sophomore pitcher Adam Lehmann might play some catcher, too.

"Competition breeds excellence and I think it will be that way for three or four weeks until we settle into conference play," Gernon said.

Being the first pitcher in a series suits McKinstry just fine.

"I like it and I don't think there is much pressure pitching the first game," he said. "With the experienced pitchers we have, I think everyone is expecting a lot this year."

In the infield, Pilarski, a freshman, can play either second or third.

Junior Cooper Hums could get some innings in the outfield. Junior Josh Polubinski could see action in the outfield or first base. Returner redshirt senior Lucas Rick and graduate transfer from Bellarmine Jacob Rowold are being looked at to be the designated hitter.

"If we get the pitching we hope to get, we have to be able to manufacture a run or two, and that could be the difference in a game if we play good defense," Gernon said.

Gernon is looking at defending champion Miami as one of the teams at the top of the league. However, the MAC has shown it's an extremely balanced league as five different teams have won the regular season title in the past five years. And in 2024 when WMU won the conference tournament, it finished second to Bowling Green.

This is Gernon's 16th year as head coach. In his past 15 seasons, just once has WMU come down to the final regular-season series and not been playing for something.

"I take pride we are either winning championships or we're extremely relevant and I expect that to happen this year," he said. "We'll just keep grinding, keep getting better and keep our eyes on the prize of winning a championship."

And keep playing a lot of people.

"If they get it in their mind we're making some substitutions, that they are going to get a chance to get in a game, it keeps great dugout engagement," Gernon said. "Guys know if you are resilient, you are very hard to beat."