Christian Cook defends Casey Powell. Cook returns to the MLL and New Jersey this season after being inactive last season. In 2002 Cook was MLL Defenseman of the Year.

The Pride travel to Denver, Colorado Saturday to take on National Division rival Baltimore in an early-season match-up with the Bayhawks as a part of the MLL’s Wild West Tour. The Tour kicked off in Week 1, when Baltimore and Rochester played at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle, a game the Bayhawks won, 24-18.

Keys for the Pride will be the first-ever pairing of defensemen Christian Cook and Ryan McClay, who have never played together on the same field before. When McClay was a rookie in 2003, Cook was inactive for the whole season. McClay played in Week 1 while Cook was inactive, and the two flip-flopped last week.

“This will be very beneficial for us to have both Christian and Ryan back there,’’ said Head Coach Ted Georgalas. “It makes us a better team, since Christian is one of the best around. But to have those two guys and also have Joe Ceglia back there, it makes us a very good team defensively.’’

New Jersey will need that extra help with the likes of Mark Millon, Gary Gait and Tom Marechek heading out to Denver for the Bayhawks. That trio has helped Baltimore to an identical, 1-1 record as the Pride. The Bayhawks fell last week to Boston, 22-21.

Though this is the third weekend in a row the Pride will be on the road, the game is considered a home game on the New Jersey schedule. The team returns home to New Jersey on June 12 to host the Philadelphia Barrage on the day of the New Jersey Gill Gibbs’ Game.

That day the Pride are honoring all the New Jersey youth and high school all-stars prior to faceoff. Tickets are available by calling the Pride offices at (973) 686-9500.