They’re a young team, but several players have talent.

The baseball field at BHS got a makeover this winter.

Workers installed a new backstop, made some repairs to the dugouts and installed new fencing on the side and in the outfield, giving it a much sharper look.

The Bainbridge baseball team also got a makeover this year, with ten new players ready to make up the loss of nine seniors who were mainstays of the team for the past three years.

Last season, the expectations were high for the Spartans, but they struggled at the plate and on the mound.

They missed the playoffs by a game with two one-run losses to O’Dea.

But with a new team comes a change in the group’s personality, and senior centerfielder Michael Heald likes what he’s seen so far.

“Chemistry is the one word that describes this team,” he said. “(That’s) something we didn’t have quite as much of last year, which was our downfall, I think. This team is more of a ‘team’ than any team I’ve played with.”

Gore agreed.

“We had a lack of chemistry (last season) but these kids’ mentality is a lot different than a lot of groups I’ve coached,” he said.

Heald and his fellow senior returners in first baseman Robbie Stevenson, catcher Adam Beck, pitcher Tal Glass and pitcher/first baseman Nik Tsolomitis, return to lead a team mostly made up of players who were junior varsity or who were “swing” – players who switched between varsity and JV.

But Gore said people shouldn’t sell the newcomers short.

“We have one of the most talented freshman classes that I’ve been around to see” make the team as sophomores this year, he said.

“We had one at short (Tanner Bogardus), one at second (Colin Feldtman) and one at third (Will Martin) and those kids are for real.

“Then you have (leftfielder Colin) Bowman, who didn’t play at all last season,” Gore continued. “He broke his kneecap in a freak injury, but he is unbelieveably good.”

Bowman’s talent was on display last Friday against West Seattle.

He doubled for his first at-bat against Wildcat pitcher Zach Varce in the first inning, then scored on a strikeout by righfielder Taurean Yamada when the catcher dropped the ball and had to throw him out at first.

In the second inning, Bowman hit another double to drive in Bogardus and Feldtman, who hit a double earlier.

West Seattle tied it in the fifth, but the Spartans won it in the bottom of the seventh, when Beck blooped a pitch into centerfield for a base hit.

Eldan Ball came in as a pinch runner, then took second on a passed ball and later advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bogardus.

Feldtman layed down a bunt for the squeeze, but it went foul.

Two pitches later, he laced a fastball up the middle to send Ball home for the game winning run.

Feldtman was originally slotted for the JV team, but when Kauika Peleti – Gore’s original starter – had to sit out due to an academic suspension, he was brought up to fill his spot.

He, along with junior pitchers Gary French and Reggie Peltier, junior designated hitter Chad Kakela and senior pitcher/outfielder Matt Gaphni are ready to contribute to another playoff run.

Stevenson thinks they’ll do better because they don’t have the publicity surrounding them like they did last year.

“The year before (last year) we didn’t have any hype and we won Metro,” he said. “We have amazing chemistry and I think we have the potential to go as far as we can.”

Gore said they’ll face competition from a division with no clear front runner, but he likes what they can do.

“We’re young, but we’re solid,” he said. “Our seniors are leaders. They’ve played in this program every year. These kids will be focused and ready to go.”