The varsity baseball team lost 12 seniors, but that does not mean there will be a lack of senior presence this year.

When the team was announced on March 7, 10 seniors were listed on the 2016 roster. A handful of the boys are now third-year varsity players.

“We’re going to rely heavily on our senior leadership, especially those guys that have that varsity experience,” varsity baseball coach Mr. Rich Sturm said.

After losing a large group of seniors from last year, seniors this year have a chance to show leadership.

“You hope they lead by example,” Sturm said. “One of the true ways to exert leadership is to set an example and hold yourself accountable.”

Last season the Tigers went 17-11 after starting off 10-0. Infielder Raul Elguezabal (12) batted .341 with two home runs and 18 runs batted in (RBI) last season. Matt Miller (12) had a batting average of .250 with one home run and 11 RBI. Pitcher Bailey Vuylsteke (12) was 3-3, and had a 3.18 earned run average with 36 strikeouts in 44 innings.

“We have a lot of talented kids with a lot of experience,” Sturm said.

The Tigers’ first game will be on March 19 in a tournament at OHS against St. Mary’s at 10 a.m. They later play Pattonville at 1 p.m.

“We want to have a successful regular season, and most importantly we want to get better as the season progresses,” Sturm said.