DURANGO, Colo. — The Fort Lewis College men's basketball program is packed and ready to head to Central America next week for a preseason foreign tour of Costa Rica, booked and organized through Beyond Sports.

The Skyhawks are scheduled to depart from Durango on Tuesday for the seven-day trip in Costa Rica's capital of San Jose.

With nine new players entering the fold for the men's program this year, Fort Lewis head men's basketball coach Bob Pietrack said the foreign tour will be instrumental for his team, on and off the court, as they prepare for the 2019-2020 season.

"We wanted to strategically use our international trip in a season where we had a lot of new faces," said Pietrack. "We want to use the 10 summer practices and three games in Costa Rica to our benefit. When we step back on campus, it'll almost be like we have a lot of returners now instead of a lot of new faces because we've already spent a month together."

Fort Lewis hits the ground running once they get to San Jose, with games scheduled against the Costa Rica All-Stars on Wednesday (Aug. 21) and Thursday (Aug. 22). The team's third game of the trip against the Costa Rica All-Stars is set for Tuesday, August 27.

"Beyond Sports does a nice job of making sure that the teams on tour are playing competitive games. They'll add or subtract players from the Costa Rica teams to make the games as competitive as possible," Pietrack said. "But for us, it's not even about the games. It's about the practices, the bonding aspect of the trip and growing as a team. The basketball portion will catch up as time goes on."

The Skyhawks' itinerary provides ample time for the team to bond and explore San Jose as the team is scheduled for a guided tour of the city, including stops at the National Church, National Theater, Central Market, Central Avenue and Artisan's Market.

Prior to their first two games, the team will participate in a pair of community services projects with the Special Olympics of Costa Rica and with local school children.

Later in the week, players and coaching staff will enjoy a visit to the Arenal Volcano, a white-water rafting excursion down the Rio Sarapiqui, ziplining at Mundo Aventura, and a two-day stay at the Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort.

"We only have two seniors on the team, so a lot of these guys going on the trip are going to be together multiple years. This is a chance to really bond together and do some things together outside of basketball," Pietrack said. "Through the course of a season, there are always times that get tough, whether you're winning every game or not. The close, bonded teams have the tendency to battle through some of the adversity."

Redshirt junior Riley Farris will be one of 16 players the Skyhawks will be sending to Costa Rica. For Farris, it will mark the first time the Hutto, Texas native has traveled outside of the United States.

"It's going to be fun to see how they run things over in Costa Rica and how it compares to us in the United States," Farris said. "I think it'll be a good experience."

The trip will also serve as an early opportunity for Farris, the RMAC co-Freshman of the Year in 2016-17, to play in a live game again after being sidelined for all but six games of the 2018-19 season due to injury.

"I'm excited to get back in the swing of things because I've been away from basketball for about eight months," Farris said. "All the guys will have a chance to get to know each other and see how we'll play together. It's really going to be a big benefit for the whole program."

Fans interested in receiving updates during the men's basketball team's expedition to Costa Rica are encouraged to follow the Skyhawks on Twitter (@FLCBASKETBALL) and on Facebook (@flcbasketball).