No one would ever accuse baseball coach Jayson Gore of setting modest goals for his team.

“Our expectation level is very high,” he said. “Let’s be the team to win the last game of the season.”

That, of course, would be the state championship game.

By that standard, the team’s 2008 season record of eight wins, 11 losses and fifth in the highly competitive Metro League’s Mountain Division would seem to have fallen far short. But Gore points out that “we had a plethora of injuries. Our two top prospects barely played at all.

“But we had a great year for what we were missing. We played a lot of great baseball.”

With those two prospects, seniors Colin Feldtman and Tanner Bogardus, fully recovered this year and joined by 10 other seniors, Gore sees his team in the thick of the hunt for the league championship – and hopefully beyond.

“Metro is really loaded this year,” he said. “I like to think we are too. We have a group of mature young men who have been down this road before.

“This is going to be my hardest coaching year because of all the competition for talent. Nothing is set in stone, and the challenge is to provide enough playing time for everyone who deserves it.”

Feldtman and Bogardus appear to be among the most deserving. As a sophomore, Feldtman – a pitcher/outfielder/third baseman – hit a robust .424 and tossed back-to-back late season two-hit shutouts. But after fracturing a vertebra in his back, he played just once last year. He hit a home run in the game, offering a glimpse of what he might have accomplished.

“He’s got a pretty good chance of being Metro League player of the year,” Gore said. “His fastball is in the upper 80s and he’s highly motivated. If you don’t play, recruiters forget about you. So he’s still looking for a place to play next year.”

Gore terms Bogardus, who missed all but two games last year because of shoulder tendinitis, “the heart and sole of the team. He’s a great No. 3 hitter – gap to gap.”

With Feldtman at the top of the rotation, Gore sees senior Colby Morse, who led the team in home runs last year, as the No. 2 starter. At six feet, five inches, “he’s a commanding presence on the mound,” Gore said. He’ll also play some outfield.

The third starter – for now, at least – is senior McKenzie Bond. “We had to rush him into a role he wasn’t quite ready for last year because of the injuries,” Gore said. “Now he’s ready to have a great year.”

The closer is likely to be senior Mario McLaughlin, who is also one of the team’s best infielders.

Senior Ross Olason, the first-game starter at catcher last year, is in the mix again this year. Fellow senior Cory Scancella is also a candidate. “Defensively, he’s right there,” according to Gore. Junior Kevin McCormick, who can also play first and the outfield, is in the hunt as well. So is junior Michael John Cox, who catches, pitches and plays first base.

“He (Cox)is really valuable and has lots of tools,” Gore said. “We’re looking for him to step up.” Another possibility is senior Michael Callahan, who left the sport as a freshman and decided to come back for his final year. “He’s mainly a catcher and a valuable kid to have around as a role player and pinch-hitter,” Gore said.

Senior Will Martin, who played third last year, returns as a first baseman/DH/outfielder. “He has a big stick, a great attitude and a hard work ethic,” Gore said.

Senior Kyle Schneider “is one of our five or six top hitters,” Gore said. “He’s improved steadily and his bat will get him playing time.”

Senior Spencer Eager should see action as a middle infielder and pitcher.

Another middle infielder is Mitch Main, who came from O’Dea last year but couldn’t play varsity because of rules governing intra-division transfers. “He’s a great defensive kid,” Gore said. “Scouts are looking at him.”

Senior Casey Atkins is “a good defensive outfielder who’s played JV his whole career. He’s been waiting a long time to get his chance,” Gore said.

One of the more intriguing elements is senior Brendan Gawlowski, playing his first varsity season. Primarily a first baseman/outfielder who can also pitch, Gawlowski led his respective C and JV teams in hitting. “He’ll get a shot this year to lead the varsity in hitting,” Gore said. “If he does we could have a great year.”

One of the most important members of the team won’t have a single at-bat this year. That is senior Griffin Burt, the team’s student manager for the fourth year in a row.

“He’s a real special kid and a great asset to the program,” Gore said. “He just loves baseball and it’ll be sad to see him go.”

In addition to the team’s obvious talent, Gore is excited because of field improvements such as new fencing, a new warning track and a new pitcher’s mound.

“This is the first year as a true baseball field,” he said.

BHS opens the season with a jamboree at Franklin Pierce on Saturday, March 14. The first game is at Franklin the following Tuesday, with three road games to follow. The home opener is on March 23 against Cleveland. The Spartans play six of their final eight games at home, concluding the regular season with Bremerton on May 9.