AUSTIN, Texas – The Concordia Texas men's soccer team, who will have four returning All-Conference selections, will look to make a run for the league crown when they open the season against Texas Lutheran on Friday.

The Tornados will open the season with five straight road games, including matchups against St. Thomas (TX), Schreiner, Southwestern and Hendrix before opening conference play at home versus LeTourneau on Sept. 13 at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex.

Head Coach Nick Mims, who begins year two at the helm of the program, will look to improve on the team's performance in 2017 when CTX made the ASC Tournament quarterfinals.

"The mood of the squad has been positive and filled with optimism," Mims said. "We return a strong core group of players from last season but lost some important players in key positions. It has been a process integrating our new players and some new ideas, but the team has responded confidently."

In the ASC Preseason Poll, the Tornados were picked to finish third in the conference behind only Mary Hardin-Baylor and UT Dallas, respectively.

Concordia Texas will rely on veteran leadership for the upcoming year with six seniors returning, including Players to Watch selections Ronny Garza, Omar Aguirre and Nash Cole.

Garza was an ASC First-Team selection last season after commanding the midfield on both offense and defense, including picking up a pair of assists.

Aguirre, meanwhile, enters his final year currently ninth all-time in goals scored in program history with eight in his career, including four of them coming in 2017.

Nash Cole, from his back-line position, has been stellar, totaling eight assists in his first three years, which ranks him in a tie-for-fourth all-time in school history. He is also the returning leading goal-scorer for the Tornados, finding the back of the net five times last season.

Mims understands the burden on the squad as they search for their first-ever ASC title.

"We have received our highest preseason ranking in the ASC ever," Mims said. "We will not be sneaking up on anybody and the expectations will bring added pressure. I truly believe our squad has the character to shoulder those expectations."

Concordia Texas will open the season on Friday, traveling to Seguin, Texas to face Texas Lutheran at 7 p.m. in a non-conference matchup.