North Callaway baseball has made deep runs the past two years and wants to hit the ground running this year.

After going undefeated in the Eastern Missouri Conference and winning a district championship two straight years, the Thunderbirds want to accomplish past goals better with a younger roster.

Head coach Kirt Kleindienst said that, among the 23 in the program, the team is “very young as far as North Callaway varsity baseball innings,” but it “never probably had more competitive players that have seen more pitches” in terms of how much baseball experience they have in the summer and spring.

“We’ve got a lot of experience but not at the intensity level in which varsity spring baseball can spring,” Kleindienst said. “We are a young team, and we have five spots to fill.”

North Callaway graduated a senior class that won a majority of its awards last season on a team eliminated by the state champion – Fatima last year – for the second straight season. Tucker Sheets, Coltyn O’Neal, Carson Bassett and Chance Green are among the key returners from that success.

Sheets will be logging a lot of innings on the mound and at shortstop and be a key hitter. Kleindienst said his success, especially early, should be good for the Thunderbirds. Green will pitch in relief, catch, play the outfield and can even play first base. Bassett will be key pitcher and is a “true centerfielder,” according to Kleindienst, and O’Neal switches to catcher after playing outfield and second base during his first two years as a starter.

“I need the young guys to understand the experience the upperclassmen players have,” Kleindienst said. “(They) have been through (the last two years), so they are doing a good job of setting the tone and what to expect of the underclassmen.”

Kleindienst promises North Callaway is “faster collectively” than his previous teams. He said “speed needs to replace the experience,” meaning the Thunderbirds will be running its best contact lineup and be further cut down on the strikeouts that he has focused on in the past few years.

Strikeouts in the lineup has been the team’s “Achilles’ heel” in the playoffs, Kleindienst said, and there has been a decrease. Those balls in play need to be used to North Callaway’s advantage.

“I want to see a vast improvement in our aggression and confidence on the basepaths along with the small-ball mentality of ‘We are going to put the ball in play so we can use one of our greatest assets and strengths, which is our speed, this year,’” Kleindienst said.

Kleindienst said he wants all of his players to understand the importance of their role, including what each spot in the lineup should do, and apply knowledge of the game to the field.

“The nine hole isn’t the worst hitter,” Kleindienst said. “The nine hole is to turn the lineup over. Putting the ball in play does that better for you.”