Facing hard-throwing Ben Casparius, UConn's ace, is no treat.

Just ask sophomore Kyler Fedko.

Fedko has batted against his talented teammate several times during baseball practice at Elliot Ballpark in Storrs.

Let's just say the Big East Preseason Co-Player of the Year didn't have much luck.

"I always have to face him at 8 or 9 in the morning, 30 minutes after waking up with an energy drink popped and minimal food," Fedko said on Wednesday during a Zoom chat with the media. "It is the worst experience. ... He probably has struck me out 10 out of the last 12 at-bats. He makes me so mad.

"I would love to face the kid on a Friday night like you're supposed to. I want to face him at six o'clock under the lights, energy is up, tensions are high. Facing him is really tough. I'm really glad that I don't have to face him again."

No matter the day, or whether it is morning, noon or night, Casparius — a transfer from North Carolina — is tough to solve.

Casparius will be on the mound for UConn in its season opener on Friday at 3 p.m. against No. 5 Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., the start of a three-game series.

Casparius, a Staples High School graduate and the 2017 Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, is happy to be back home.

"I remember my (recruiting) visit, I think it was in early June at the time, I just fell in love with this place right when I got here," said Casparius, who sat out last season as a transfer. "The first thing I noticed is, when I came into the weight room with (associate head) coach (Jeff) Hourigan and coach (Jim) Penders, everybody looked like they were having fun. They were 50 games into the season. It was something that was new to me in terms of the energy level and what I was seeing.

"It's great to be back closer to home. ... I'm excited to see what we can do this year."

The Huskies all share the same excitement level about the upcoming season. They're about as talented a team as Penders, who's in his 18th season in charge, has had in Storrs. And that says a lot considering the program's rich history.

They're eager to return to action after having last season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I have never looked forward to a season as much as I've looked forward to this one," Penders said. "It's been the longest off-season of my life. For most of us, not playing a game since mid-March, it's been difficult. That lack of competition has been a strain along with a lot of other things with regard to COVID and our current situation. We're just chomping at the bit to get going and see a different uniform.

"I like our ball club's talent level, I think it's one of the most talented teams that we've had in a long time. That has to be balanced with the fact that every one of our opponents is probably going to be the most talented that they've been in a very long time and that's because of the way the draft was constructed last year and a lot of seniors back that probably wouldn't have been back normally, so there's more talent in baseball than ever before."

"There's going to be challenges that come with that, but I like the hand that we've been dealt."

One challenge will be handling the role of the Big East favorite.

In its return to the Big East, UConn is first in the league preseason coaches' poll, receiving five of the eight first-place votes. Creighton is second with two votes and Seton Hall third with one vote.

Four Huskies earned preseason All-Big East honors, including sophomore outfielder Kyler Fedko, redshirt freshman designated hitter Reggie Crawford, junior second baseman Christian Fedko and redshirt sophomore reliever Caleb Wurster.

UConn is ready to handle the lofty expectations.

"With all these awards coming out, it's easy to lose sight of the team and bonds that we have as a community," Kyler Fedko said. "It's more staying together and doing our thing and just doing what we know best. It's not really pressure coming into a new conference and being a favorite. It's just doing what we know how to do and everyone doing their job."

Thanks to a new turf field, the Huskies are well-prepared for their season opener. They've spent far more time practicing outside than in previous seasons at their old baseball home at J.O. Christian Field.

And on the few occasions when bad weather chases them inside, they simply work out in their new first-class indoor facility.

"It's been an unreal asset," senior Chris Winkel said. "We're more prepared for this year than we've been before."

This weekend kicks off a difficult stretch of 17 straight road games against stiff competition. UConn will have to wait until March 23 before playing its first game at Elliot Ballpark, hosting Central Connecticut State University.

Blessed with a veteran, talented team, the Huskies are ready to take on all challengers, including nationally-ranked Virginia in the opening series this weekend.

"Ultimately, we want to win a national championship," Penders said. "In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. If we had six freshmen starting this weekend, I would not want to be scheduling the University of Virginia in the first weekend. ... This year, we have a relatively veteran group that I think can handle it. They expect to win, no matter who we're playing.

"That wasn't always the case 15 or 16 years ago. That is the case now and we want to keep elevating our expectations and our standards."

g.keefe@theday.com