Coming off the program's first appearance in the state quarterfinal and consecutive 20-win seasons, the Poplar Bluff Mules baseball team looks to keep things rolling.
Tyson Cox, Mason Libla, Turner Fritts, Austin McIntosh and Cameron Jones return for their senior year to defend a conference and district championship, but the Mules graduated four pitchers, including a pair that were a combined 27-6 during their career.
"That's going to be hard to replace, obviously, they did a great job for us last year," Mules coach Steven Edwards said.
During the offseason Edwards and his staff thought there might be two or three starters in the mix but he said there's five guys battling to start on the mound.
"I think we're deeper this year, to be honest," said Edwards who is entering his fourth year leading the program.
McIntosh is the only pitcher to have started a game last season, while the left-hander was 2-1 with three saves in 22-plus innings of relief. Libla, Cox, Sam Pierce and Noah Burkey each pitched two games in relief last season, none more than four total innings.
Edwards noted that junior Michael White has "blossomed" over the summer and is pushing 82 mph with a lot of movement while Pierce has been one of the biggest surprises.
"Sam is owning it," Edwards said of the lefty. "Every time he's on the mound throwing he's just doing this thing and it looks great."
When not pitching, Libla returns behind the plate where he earned all-district honors the last three years. A career .283 hitter, Libla hit in the clean-up spot last season with 10 extra-base hits, including two home runs, and driving in 18, the most of any returning starter.
Cox led the Mules with 35 hits and a .443 average last year and is a career .370 hitter in 75 games, the most of Poplar Bluff's eight seniors. He returns to anchor shortstop while Fritts, who hit .304 last year and signed to play at Southeast Missouri State University, returns to second base.
McIntosh, who hit .354 last year at the bottom of the order, is back at first base leaving just third base open for competition in the infield. Edwards noted that Burkey, a sophomore, and senior Cole Dickerson will see time there.
"Both are throwing the ball well and hitting the ball hard," Edwards said.
Jones returns to center field while the corner outfield starters will be new but could feature all seniors.
Jaxson Huffman, a senior signed to play at Jefferson College, can play left field or fill in at first base when McIntosh pitches, Edwards said, with Dickerson filling in while Kyler Carr, who played 20 games as a junior last year, could play right field.
Other outfield options are sophomores Dawson Hanner and Josiah Kilgore while freshman Justin Moses can be a utility player that fills in for an infielder, Edwards said.
"We've got a lot of guys that can play multiple positions and I think it's going to make us a little tougher than we were last year," Edwards said.
As a team the Mules hit .329 last season, averaging 6.8 runs per game while holding opponents to three runs or less in 19 of 27 games but three were losses, including a season-ending 1-0 loss to third-ranked Vianney in the quarterfinal.
This spring the Mules look to be more aggressive on offense, Edwards said.
"Try to do things to make teams get on their heels and try to play fast for us and maybe we'll beat them to the punch," he added.
The Mules open the season by hosting East Carter at 4:30 p.m. Friday then travel to Glendale for a doubleheader Saturday, one of three weekend trips to the Springfield area. They also travel to Pensacola, Florida for a three-day tournament at the end of March and will have played eight times before April.
One of those is a conference home game against Kennett on Tuesday, but Edwards said for the most part it will be a time he and his staff will use to evaluate players and what works best.
Last year the Mules started 1-4 after being ranked in the preseason state coaches poll then won 20 of the next 21 including a third straight conference tournament title and the program's third district title.
The district tournament will be held at Cape Central in May.