COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech football team, nearing the end of spring drills, will hit the turf in Tucker Stadium for its annual Spring Game Saturday at 11 a.m. Fans are invited to watch. Admission is free.

The scrimmage format will give coach Watson Brown's coaching staff one final look at a large number of players who are hopinig to emerge into larger roles for the 2011 season including a handful who have moved to new positions. The team heads into Saturday's action with only a few players expected to miss due to injury.

"Spring drills are the most important time of the year for a team on the field," Brown said. "This is when we find players, and we've had a really good opportunity to look at a lot of players during the past couple weeks."

The spring sessions have also given the coaching staff a chance to take a closer look at a bevy of players who were on the team last fall but sitting out as redhsirts including 10 freshmen. Players on that redshirt list who are anticipating their debut in the fall include quarterback Darian Stone, defensive linemen Matthew Smith and Nathan Bush, and linebacker Midoho Okpokowuruk.

The 2011 roster will be a veteran group for the first time in Brown's five seasons in Cookeville, with 25 seniors and 24 juniors.