Valley Central’s varsity baseball team returns following a 2018 season in which the team slumped to 4-16 after reaching the Section 9, Class AA final in 2017.

“It was the first time we had not qualified for sections in a very long time,” said Eric Bartle, Valley Central’s coach. “No team chemistry, I think. There were a lot of issues that took over that were more important than baseball. Things right from the start did not go well.”

As winter’s final patches of snow were disappearing, the Vikings were still working out inside with artificial mounds and batting tees facing small nets.

Jimmy Murphy, T.J. Boriello, seniors, will pitch with Greg Osterhout, Kyle Rosenberger, Michael Flannery and Tyler Eisenhardt, juniors.

Shawn Sawyer, a senior, will catch with Joey Laudati, a senior. Sawyer will also pitch. Rosenberger and Osterhout will play first base. Second, short and third are still open, but Brandon Lantz, a senior, Connor Fitzgibbons, Chase Toth, Nick Serrano, juniors and Boriello are expected to fill those spots in the infield. The outfielders will be Flannery, Eisenhardt, and Seth Logan, Nate Depew, Tyler Villani, juniors, and Xavier Torres, a senior.

Now Bartle hopes the team can avoid the early implosion in 2018 that stopped that season in the beginning.

“I think we are ahead of where we were last year at this time,” said Bartle. “Hopefully our returning kids from last year can step up and be leaders.”