The University of Hawaii baseball team appears to have all the parts for a hopeful season, although assembly is required.

That began with Monday’s opening of training camp.

Three starting infielders return, but two will be at new positions. There’s open competition in center field. There are 16 pitchers — only three left-handed — to compete for spots in the starting rotation and relief roles. The schedule also is demanding — and abbreviated. The Rainbow Warriors filled 52 of a maximum 56 dates.

“We have another ridiculous schedule, but that’s what we enjoy doing, challenging ourselves,” said coach Mike Trapasso, whose team opens against North Carolina State on Feb. 17 and competes in the Dairy Queen Classic in Minnesota in March.

“I’m working to balance it a little more. But at the end of the day, if I’m stuck choosing between a ranked opponent or someone who’s not very good, I’ll generally choose the better opponent. In most ways, it’s better. Some disagree and some say it’s detrimental, but I would rather challenge ourselves.”

Here’s a look at this year’s Rainbow Warriors:

Starting pitching

With two-thirds of the rotation departing at the end of the 2016 season, Brendan Hornung is expected to reclaim his ace’s stature. He was the first-day pitcher for 12 series before shifting to the back end of the rotation. In series openers, Hornung’s WHIP was 1.29; it was 1.58 in back-end starts. Trapasso requires each starter to have at least three pitches; Hornung has four. His splitter is his out pitch, and he’s confident throwing it on any count. Hornung has improved in hitting his targets. “You can’t pitch for swing and miss,” Trapasso said. “You have to pitch for contact. When you do that, that’s when you actually get more swings and misses.”

Freshman Carter Loewen and junior college transfers Dominic DeMiero, Neil Uskali and Jackson Rees are building toward what Trapasso calls starter’s mode. Loewen, who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays, is 6 feet 4, 220 pounds and capable of reaching 90 mph. DeMiero, a lefty, has one of the staff’s best change-ups. Rees has four pitches, including a cutter, that he launches from a unique over-the-top motion. Uskali’s control was evident in this JC line last year: 82 strikeouts and seven walks in 75 1/3 innings.

Colin Ashworth and Matt Richardson are swing pitchers.

Bullpen

The two 2016 closers finished their UH careers, and their replacements must fit Trapasso’s requirements of throwing strikes, pitching ahead in the count, holding runners and fielding reliably. “If you want to be a true closer, you have to have an out pitch, and you have to have the ability to throw more than once on a weekend,” Trapasso said.

Richardson, who mixes a high-80s fastball with a biting slider-sinker, can fill the closer’s role if he isn’t used as a spot starter. Brody Hagel-Pitt, who is 6-6 and 260 pounds, brings heat. The wild card is left-hander Logan Pouelsen, who was reaching 94 mph before undergoing Tommy John surgery last March. He’s ahead in his rehab schedule and should eventually be in the mix this season.

Catching

Kekai Rios has all the catcher’s tools — receiving, blocking and throwing — but it was his hitting (.331 average, 86.7 percent contact) that was the pleasant surprise last year. Chayce Ka‘aua, who missed nearly eight weeks with a fractured finger suffered in UH’s home opener against New Mexico, is healthy. David Noworyta had the edge for the No. 3 job exiting fall training.

Middle infield

It was an anxious summer as the Warriors waited for shortstop Dustin Demeter to turn down a fifth-round, pre-draft proposal to honor his UH commitment. Demeter is a left-handed hitter with a quick swing who can hit to all fields. “Demeter has a chance to be special,” Trapasso said. Jordan LaFave is a shortstop with range.

Johnny Weeks moved from third base to second, where he feels more at ease. He also is hoping for better luck. UH tracks solid-contact at-bats and, according to Trapasso, Weeks “hits more balls right on the nose but right at someone. It happened all last year. It was uncanny.”

Corner infield

Josh Rojas, who played second last year, was at short during summer ball as insurance against Demeter deciding to accept the pro offer. In the fall, Demeter and Rojas rotated between short and third as part of cross training. At third, Rojas impressed with his reflexes on shots to his left and aggressiveness in fielding bunts.

Eric Ramirez, who committed only three errors in 2016, has started at first the past two seasons. Pouelsen also can spell Ramirez.

Outfield

Alex Fitchett and Adam Fogel, who are the Warriors’ tallest (6 feet 5) and fastest (6.6 seconds over 60 yards) outfielders, are competing in center. Dylan Vchulek, a JC transfer, is more of the classic center fielder.

Left fielder Marcus Doi, who was drafted out of high school, is capable of hitting .300 when he’s healthy. “He has all the tools,” Trapasso said, “but the poor kid, for his entire career, has battled the injury bug.” Doi was healthy all fall.

Ethan Lopez’s swing (.301 average in 2016) and powerful arm give him the edge in right.