The weather forecast is just about perfect for Thursday's 2012 season opener for the Cal State Stanislaus baseball team: Most sunny, upper 60s, no wind. The Warriors host Central Washington at Warrior Baseball Field at 2 p.m.

For the new version of the Warriors, they are excited and ready to get on the field to play another team after inter-squad scrimmages and practices. For Warrior fans, it will be critical to pick up a copy of the Warrior Game Day at the entrance since there are 21 new names, including redshirts, on the active roster.

The opening day projected starting lineup will have two returning starters: middle infielders Ross Gonsalves and Colton Beatty. Beatty returns after a spectacular sophomore season. The All-CCAA honorable mention pick batted .311 with 47 hits and drove in 26 runs, mostly in clutch situations.

Other than that, there will be all new faces, starting with starter Bryon Lemon, a transfer from Consumes River College. Lemon was an all-conference second team pick at CRC. He posted a 6-4 record, 3.83 ERA in 12 starts a season ago.

Kenny Leonesio, who enters his 10th season at the helm, has some depth behind the plate with five catchers available. Michael Turay, a transfer from Nevada, and senior Joe Medeiros are at the top of the depth chart with DJ Arellano. Turay and Medeiros can also play the outfield.

At the corners, Ventura College transfer Andy Yingling is the likely day-one starter at first while redshirt freshman Skippy Ferreria and Garrett Wright platooning at third on day one until Justin Manci, a transfer from Chico State, is healthy enough to start every day at the hot corner. Wright and Ferreria will see time in the other infield positions.

The outfield will be anchored by new centerfielder Eli Davis, who returned home from Sacramento State. Davis was a standout at Turlock Christian High School in both baseball and football.

The rest of the group to roam the outfield on a regular basis should include JC transfers Colt McLaughlin and Craig Beevers, as well as redshirt junior Jordan Long.

While the starting rotation won't be the same without Andrew Stueve, Vinny Pacchetti and Kory Wallace, Leonesio believes this pitching staff will be solid and be able to compete. Transfers Shay Maltese and Rafael Vasquez joins Lemon while Phil Quade moves from being the go-to guy out of the bullpen to a starting position to begin the season.

Freshman Dustin Baisdon has been tabbed to be the anchor of the bullpen that also includes returners Chris Short and Keith McDaniels, redshirt Joe Whitehead and Anthony Gotelli from West Valley College, among others. Baisdon, Short and Gotelli could also get some starts on the mound.

Against Central Washington, the Warriors have dominated this series in recent years. They have won 10 straight against the Wildcats with four-game sweeps in 2008, 2009 and both games in 2011.

The Wildcats were 14-32 in 2011 and returns nine starters from last year's tetam. Second baseman Brandon Wang batted .329 last season. Central Washington opens its season Wednesday at San Francisco State before visiting Turlock on Thursday.