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Jeff Clement's first trip to PNC Park was far from satisfying.

He's hoping to get a lot more out of his next visit.

The 26-year-old Marshalltown native, acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade with the Seattle Mariners in July 2009, has been "penciled in" as the major league club's starting first baseman with the opener of the spring training schedule on tap for Wednesday.

Clement's only visit to the Pirates' home stadium came last November, when he met with the training staff after suffering a strained oblique muscle that prevented him from a September call-up to the major leagues from Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians.

Instead he rehabilitated and trained at PNC Park. It was the first season since he debuted in the majors with Seattle on Sept. 3, 2007, that he did not get to play a game in the big leagues.

He believes wholeheartedly that this season will be different, and Pittsburgh appears set to put him into position to prove it.

The Pirates have listed Clement, an All-American catcher at Southern California, as their starting first baseman for Wednesday's Grapefruit League opener against the New York Yankees.

"It's really obvious and clear that I've got a much better opportunity here than last year," Clement said, referring to the chance the Mariners gave him to wrestle starting catcher duties away from Kenji Johjima. "Going in I thought I had a good chance, but it was pretty clear Johjima was the guy last year. Even when he came back from the World Baseball Classic he kind of took over.

"That's the way it works sometimes, you just don't get as much of an opportunity as you'd like."

He ended up playing 92 games with Seattle's Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers - his third season with the club - before getting shipped to the Pirates in a seven-player trade. He finished out the year in Indianapolis, playing 24 games at first base before the abdominal muscle injury ended the season prematurely.

A catcher for as long as he could remember, Clement has been given a new avenue for making a name for himself in the major leagues.

With his 10-month-old son Jacob trying to contribute to the phone interview on Monday evening, Clement talked about the difference between having the opportunity to win a starting job and being in a position to maintain a spot that is his to win - or lose.

"Every day you just try to get better and play hard, and that doesn't change whether you're penciled in or not," Clement said. "You've still got to earn a spot, unless you're Albert Pujols, but I know that's not my situation. I know if I play up to my abilities, things will work out."

Clement and the Pirates face the State College of Florida Manatees, an NJCAA Division I program, in a pre-Spring Training game today at the Pirates' McKechnie Field at 1 p.m. in Bradenton, Fla. The Manatees are 12-5 so far this spring.

"They're already in midseason form and we haven't faced live pitching yet, so I don't really know why they scheduled that game," Clement chuckled. "And then on Wednesday we open against the New York Yankees. Nothing like starting the year off against the world champions."

Clement has turned in his catcher's mitt for a first baseman's glove for the time being, as long as that's where the Pirates want and need him to play. The left-handed power is the main reason Pittsburgh sought after him last season, and the Mariners slowly began working the position into Clement's rpertoire.

Since joining Indianapolis late last summer, Clement has done nothing but work to improve his defensive game as a first baseman.

"It's been a lot of work as far as learning a new position, but I had the whole month of August to prepare, which is great," he said. "The best thing is the game experience I got over that last month, and once (spring training) camp started I was ready to go.

"I've got a great opportunity in this organization and I'm really thankful for that. That's all I can ask for. I've got a great shot at it. I think everybody would love to be in that position. Obviously the spot is not mine, but if I go out and take care of business I believe things are going to work out."

Clement finished his 22-game stint in Indianapolis with just one error in 189 chances. He reported early to the Pirates' Spring Training facility in Bradenton - like catchers are supposed to - to begin furthering his progress as a first baseman.

"Obviously I love catching and I still see myself as a catcher, that's what I've done my whole life, but this year it's clear they want me to play first base," Clement said. "I'd love to try to get back there (behind the plate) but for now first base is my best opportunity to make the big league club so I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen.

"I just have to remain confident and believe in my abilities."

Clement said he has worked primarily with infielders coach Carlos Garcia, who was also with the Mariners when Clement got his call-up in September 2007. Pirates manager John Russell was a major league catcher before transitioning to first base, among other positions, later in his career.

Not only the everyday baseball stuff is new to Clement, but so is his team. The Pirates are among the youngest clubs in baseball, as the average age of the spring roster is 26.8 years old.

"It's night and day different, obviously it's a really young squad but with that comes a lot of energy in spring training," Clement said. "Guys are excited to be here, they're excited about the opportunity and that's a welcomed change coming into camp. There's a lot more energy and they're really big into believing."

Clement is no longer one of those blue chip prospects, he confesses, on a team this green.

"I definitely feel older than I used to, especially on this team," he said. "There's a lot of talent on this team, but there's not a lot of proven big league talent. With this team it's about a mentality, a belief that's really what separates great teams from good teams and good teams from average teams - there's a lot of ups and downs but teams and guys who have the most success are the ones that can stay confident and positive.

"I try to be (positive all the time) but it is tough at times, when you haven't gotten a hit in so many at-bats or there's challenges at first base. There will be times that there will be errors I make, just like everybody else, but I just have to stay focused. It's a matter of not worrying or dwelling, you've got to have that mentality."

That's the attitude Clement carries with him when he arrives as one of the first players to the ballpark every day. He believes that will get him back to PNC Park under different circumstances when the Pirates' regular season schedule starts a month from now.

"I'm hoping I get the chance to take batting practice there in April," Clement said.