Iowa Falls, Iowa -- The 2020 season ended abruptly for the Ellsworth CC baseball team, as it did for athletic teams all across the country.  But the abbreviated campaign last spring has likely made this year's ECC team and coaches even more eager to get the '21 season underway.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought all collegiate events to a sudden end in March.  The Panthers were just 20 games into their 56-game regular-season schedule at the time and despite a slow start record-wise for first-year coach Samuel Vega's squad they had showed some promising signs.  Their 14 home runs ranked in the top 20 in the nation among all junior college teams.  Ellsworth was coming off a series in which they lost four times to NJCAA Division I powerhouse Iowa Western, but those defeats were by a total of only eight runs.

With the upcoming season rapidly approaching, Vega and his team are gearing up for success.  "I wouldn't say I'm anxious about getingt started," Vega said, "just super excited.  As a team we are confident that we are going to be able to go out there and compete.  The preseason has gone great.  Our guys are doing a really good job of following COVID protocols and that has allowed us to stay healthy and keep getting better every day."

There are more than 40 players on the Ellsworth roster and Vega says he feels like there are a lot of them that will contribute.  "I'm excited for this group of guys we have this year," the head coach said.  "It's a great mix of youth, experience and talent.  We're returning some key bats along with three of the four weekend starters from last year.  And we added 26 freshmen who are ready to compete."

The potential of the pitching staff has Vega optimistic.  The weekend starters the coach referred to -- those who will likely start in the four-game series against conference opponents -- are Zach Carlsen, Alex Bantam and Matt Nolan.  The Panthers also bring back a trio of top bullpen arms in Isaac Rohde, Brody Bittle and Cooper Johnson, last year's closer.

"Our strengths are going to be defense and experience, especially with our pitching staff," according to Vega.  "We are going to be a solid defensive team and our experience on the mound should allow us to compete in every single game."

Those games will begin on February 27 with a doubleheader against Allen County CC, a Division I Kansas school.  The next weekend the Panthers will take on Metropolitan CC in Kansas City, Mo.  That four-game series will be followed by four contests against Southwestern CC.  ECC's rugged schedule will also include games against a handful of ranked Iowa teams: Iowa Western, Iowa Central, Kirkwood, DMACC and Southeastern.  The home opener opponent will be Marshalltown CC on March 24.

The Panthers showed their focus off the field last fall with 27 players earning a spot on the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference academic all-region teams, 17 of them with grade point averages of 3.5 or above for the fall semester.  Vega is counting on that same kind of focus and success in the classroom to translate into a winning spring on the field in 2021.