While most of us were planted squarely in front of the nearest television set on Sunday for our annual Super Bowl rituals, the Sacramento State baseball team opened their 2004 campaign by taking two of three games at San Diego State University.

The Hornets are coming off a 2003 season that culminated in a 33-24 record, including a 23-9 home record, their best home mark since 1993.

Head coach John Smith enters his 26th season as Sac State’s dugout leader. His career record of 727-674 ranks him in the top 60 of active Division I coaches.

While 2003 was a winning and rewarding season, the 2004 version of the team will have a much different look.

The Hornets will be without four key players from a year ago who all signed minor league contracts after catching the attention of Major League scouts.

Pitcher Chris Kinsey was the highest draft selection in Hornet history when the Arizona Diamondbacks took him in the fourth round.

Power hitting outfielders Mikela Olsen and Jesse Schmidt signed with the Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants, respectively. Pitcher Steve Correa signed a free-agent deal with the New York Mets organization.

Correa and Kinsey anchored a Hornet pitching staff that had its lowest team earned run average since 1995, at 5.28. Kinsey posted a 7-6 record with a team-high 98 strikeouts.

Olsen and Schmidt provided punch to the heart of the lineup, combining for 32 home runs and 121 RBIs.

“Last year we relied a lot on the home run,” coach Smith said, referring to his departed sluggers. “This team will not do that, but will hit more doubles, steal more bases and hit and run more.”

Even with the loss of Olsen and Schmidt, Smith doesn’t believe the lineup will have to rely solely on “small ball,” the label for teams that prefer to manufacture runs through walks, bunts and steals.

Our lineup is a little more balanced this year to where we have guys that hit up and down the lineup,” Smith said. “We’ll see a team with a better average, that’s able to get a clutch hit when we need it.”

The team will rely on returning junior shortstop Brett LeVier and senior third baseman John Acha to fill the void left in the middle of the lineup. In addition to anchoring the left side of the infield, Acha batted .322 last season while LeVier hit .269.

Freshman newcomer Mick Joyce, a Temecula, Calif. native will look to make an immediate impact with his bat from the left side of the plate.

“He’s a good hitter, an infielder by trade, but he’s also a pitcher,” Smith said. “We’ll probably start the season bringing him out of the bullpen first and then go from there.”

Senior Jack Arroyo will start at second base after sitting out last season with a wrist injury. Brett Flowers, a junior transfer from Santa Ana Junior College, will start at first base.

The starting catcher position will start off by committee, with four catchers on the roster vying for time.

The pitching staff will return two starters in sophomore left-hander Mel Cuckovich and junior right-hander Warren Rosebrock.

Newcomers Eric Katz and Marshall Hendon will round out the starting rotation. Katz, a junior transfer from East Los Angeles College, has impressed Smith early on with his good command and a fast ball reaching near 90 mph.

Hendon is a junior transfer from Sacramento City College, who will join Cuckovich as another left-handed starter.

Freshman right-hander Billy Sinacori will take on the role of closer from the bullpen.

“He’s a solid player that gives us pitching depth and he can also play second, shortstop or third base,” Smith said.

A new look pitching staff and infield are the biggest question marks for the season.

Performing at or above the level of last season will be quite a challenge with the departure of the program’s four best players.

The strength of schedule will add to that challenge. “The Stanford series is always fun,” Smith said. “We travel to Arizona and Washington State, and they’re tough.”