Calvary Lutheran will need pitchers to eat up as many innings as they can this season.
To help that cause, the Lions are hoping to provide as much support in the field.
"Our difficulties in the past is when we threw strikes and they put the ball in play, there was an error here, an error there, a walk here, a hit there, and the next thing you know the pitcher has 50 pitches already," Calvary coach Rusty Bourg said as the Lions get set to open the season at 4:30 p.m. today at home against Bunceton.
"But we're working a lot on defense and hopefully we can make the routine play and just keep our pitchers in it."
Sophomores John Becker and Kelton Sellars, and freshman Jonathan Lieb will lead the pitching rotation.
"I'm relying on him heavily," Bourg said of Lieb. "He's our shortstop and does some pitching. He's a good athlete, so he should be pretty good help."
Freshman Charlie Scheperle, sophomore Sam Hoff and senior Nathan Bates will also be available to take the mound.
Hoff will be behind the plate, Bates will play at first base, sophomore Jared Braun returns to second base and either sophomore Garrett Johnson or freshman Alex Proctor will be the third baseman.
Sellars will play center field when he's not pitching, and sophomore Samuel Taylor and freshman Caleb Bernskoetter will also take spots in the outfield.
"The name of the game is throwing the ball over the plate, and when they hit it, make a play," Bourg said. "If we do that we should be able to play a little bit."
Lieb is expected to lead off for the Lions with Sellars behind him.
"He just likes to put the ball in play and run like heck," Bourg said of Sellars.
Hoff, Bates and Becker will make up the middle of the order.
Bates is the lone senior on the 11-player roster.
"He gets a little better each year and hes an outspoken leader and keeps things corralled for me," Bourg said.
Braun will bat sixth.
"He's really improved," Bourg said. "He put the ball in play a little more in the fall."
The Lions are scheduled to play three teams ranked in the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association preseason rankings.
Calvary will play Russellville, ranked No. 2 in Class 2, on Tuesday on the road. On April 16, Calvary faces the No. 2 team in Class 1 in St. Elizabeth. Vienna, the No. 7 team in Class 2, will be at Calvary on May 2.
"There should be some games where we can compete," Bourg said. "They'll be some games against some good teams like Russellville where we'll show up, give them the best we've got and see how it goes.
"My goal is for these guys to play together, keep their heads up, don't get frustrated, make plays, throw strikes, hit the ball and see if we can't just get better, just get better and get better and maybe as these sophomores becomes juniors and then seniors then who knows."
Vienna and Russellville are also in District 9 with Calvary. Crocker, Eugene and Iberia, the ninth-ranked team, round out the district.