Northampton head baseball coach Mick Sugra has a good idea on what his club can potentially accomplish this season.

His team will begin the 2013 season with a new-look pitching staff and a core of returning starters. Whatever the case, the fourth-year head coach appears pleased with any early season prognosis.

Last season, the Kids ended the year with an overall 12-9 mark and lost an opening-round PIAA District 11 Class AAAA game to Pleasant Valley.

"I'm content right now with the team," said Sugra, whose team outscored Saucon Valley 18-5, in their first scrimmage. "We lost some pitchers from last year's team and we have a bunch of pitchers who all basically can bring the some kind of stuff.

"But we also have some starters back and our bats should be fine."

Sugra has already been impressed with his team winning the Lehigh Valley Fall Baseball League, a makeshift arrangement of eight schools who played a regular schedule along with a championship playoff.

"We lost two games during the fall league," he stated. "We played well during the fall and we also spent a good amount of time in the weight room. The kids worked hard and they should be ready."

Garrett Kunkle and Cole Derhammer are the early favorites to grab spots on the mound for the Kids. Others in the mix for starts this spring will be Blake Heier, Logan Steigerwalt, Chris Albright, Joey Witterich, and Harley Davidson. Catcher Cody Kramer will also see time as the team's closer and freshman Jim Luberti will be Kramer's backup behind the plate.

"We really don't have a number one pitcher out there right now," said Sugra. "We do have guys who can help us. We do have depth and we'll see what happens. Cody (Kramer) will see some time as a closer and he (Kramer) has a great arm."

In the infield, Mark Szoke - a first team Lehigh Valley Conference selection - is back to anchor first. Evan Grube, who won the JV team's "Black Bat" award for highest batting average, will handle second base this spring.

Davidson will get the nod at short, and both Dan Hooven and Matt Durch will share time at third.

Brandon Heimbach is a returning starter in centerfield for the Kids, and he'll likely be flanked by Hooven and Jaden Daubert in left and Jeff Wesolowski in right field.

While he waits for his steam to settle into place, Sugra does expect to have the same effort that has been a trademark of his teams over the past three seasons. His club opens against neighbooring Catasauqua March 22.

"We'll be a blue-collar team and we have gained a reputation of being there at the end of conference play," he stated. "We always have a tough division with Whitehall, Nazareth, and Parkland. Last season, we beat Whitehall and Parkland twice, but we couldn't get past Nazareth.

"As long as our pitching stays strong and we're throwing strikes, we'll be OK."