Mexico baseball liked its team from a season ago and didn’t have to change much at all.

After only having one senior a year ago, Mexico returns most of its lineup and its full pitching staff from last year’s 15-17 team. The Bulldogs expect to have 11 seniors this season, which is the largest senior group head coach Daniel McCarty has had.

“I had one group that was nine (seniors),” McCarty said. “In my first year, I had a senior class of seven, and I thought that was a lot at the time. I’m hoping those seniors – only one is new to me this year – know their role once called upon.”

Several of those seniors are returning pitchers. Sam Ryan, Austin Maxwell, Jaydon Eldridge and Landon Hilderman expect to be in the rotation along with junior Brady Fox. Mexico allowed an eight-year low of 3.3 runs per game and its defense only committed 18 errors, staying competitive in most of its games because of that. The season ended in a 1-0 pitcher’s duel in districts with Father Tolton.

McCarty said Mexico wants to make sure its pitchers have the run support and have been focusing on that in the offseason. The Bulldogs have averaged less than five runs per game in each of the previous two years.

“Our pitching is going to be our dominant strength along with our defense,” McCarty said. “We focused on our hitting approach. We broke things back down, evaluated and corrected. We hope they stay with those corrections.”

As far as reliable bats, McCarty said Ryan, or the team’s “ace,” is a threat at the plate who showcases a good glove at third base. Drew DeMint has been hitting gaps and provides a good top of the order bat and glove in the outfield, and Cooper Bledsoe is a senior leader at catcher. Hilderman has made big jumps with his swing, which has been enough to garner praise from McCarty.

“I expect him to break the double record, if not the home run record,” McCarty said. “He gained some strength in the lower half and improved his swing.”

McCarty said the usual varsity number out of the 35 total players is 21 but could go up to 23 or 24 due to some early pitching injuries.

“My key thing is I want to get the younger guys some reps for the future,” McCarty said. “Those younger guys are working hard for a spot or a spot on varsity. It’s fun to watch them play and compete.”

Mexico was “streaky” a year ago, McCarty said, as it followed an eight-game winning streak with an eight-game losing streak. He said having a good dugout culture can help the Bulldogs better control momentum, especially against North Central Missouri Conference teams like Moberly, Fulton and Kirksville.

“This team can either win it all or give it away,” McCarty said. “We definitely have the talent this year, and we also have the competition this year.”