It will be a call to arms when the 2015 Whitehall baseball season opens later this month.

After coming off a year that featured a strong of crop of hurlers that helped propel them to a 16-6 record and a berth in both the league and district playoffs, the Zephs will now look to bolster a staff that contains two returning starters, while the rest of the rotation remains to be sorted out at this point.

Manager Shaun O'Boyle said that the first two spots will be occupied by Jacob Meyers and Alex Bruneio, giving them a solid righty-lefty punch at the top of their rotation. Those vying for the remaining spots include senior Tyler Kline, junior D.J. Laky, as well as sophomores Zach Gilbert, Matt Dobeck and Zach Hamscher.

Meyers will be the ace of the staff, a player who brings a wealth of experience to the hill. The senior has been pitching since his sophomore season, and has been part of a rotation that's won a league championship and reached the finals in the 2013 District XI Championships. He went 4-2 last season with a 2.53 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings.

"He's the leader of the team," said O'Boyle who's entering his fifth year as the skipper. "He brings a lot of experience and we're going to count on him this year."

Meyers is capable of influencing the outcome of games at the plate as well. He batted .309 last season, tops among the returning Zephs.

He also brings a championship mentality to the team, something he's gained through playing in a lot of big games over the years.

Bruneio, a sophomore, will be counted on to add stability to the front end of their rotation He emerged last season as someone who could give the Zephs a spark, both on the mound and at the plate.

Joining Meyers in that leadership role will be junior Gianni Sinatore. Sinatore is another returning starter who will be counted on to provide pop at the plate and solid defense in the outfield. Sinatore batted .296 last season, and with his speed will be a threat on the base paths as well.

Replacing Ryan Bonshak behind the plate is a tough assignment, but O'Boyle is confident that someone will emerge to fill that void. Leading that crop of candidates is junior Austin Dreisbach. O'Boyle said that Dreisbach some varsity action last season, and his experience playing the position throughout the summer should help acclimate him at the varsity level. Senior Nicholas Delp is another player who's vying for the position, along with newcomer David Gonzalez, a transfer from New York.

First base is still up for grabs with Laky and Delp currently battling for the starting role. O'Boyle said that whoever emerges as the starter, the other is likely to be the team's designated hitter.

"I think both players will have a big role," O'Boyle said.

At second, senior Will Loy and junior Ruben (Javy) Rodriguez will split time, with Rodriguez moving to shortstop when Meyers pitches.

Both players played last year for the Zephs, adding additional experience to this year's squad.

"No matter who's in there, will be pretty solid up the middle," O'Boyle said.

At short will be Meyers, along with the aforementioned Rodriguez.

Third base is currently a logjam. O'Boyle said that four guys are in the mix, including Hamscher, Kline, as well as juniors Jacob Hess and Jarrod Miller.

Their outfield will consist of Sinatore in one spot, while the rest will be filled by whoever emerges among the four players who are battling for the other two spots. That group includes Dobeck, junior Bryce Crum, Bruneio and Kline. O'Boyle said they like to keep five players in their outfield mix. Noah Kline is a junior and he'll be vying for time as a catcher as well as the outfield

O'Boyle said that a lot of things will shake out once the season gets underway. Their trek to Myrtle Beach will also helps sort out where players fit. He also believes he has a strong group of sophomores that will make this another successful year for the Zephs, and with the new league in place, he sees it as an opportunity for them to be in the hunt for a league championship once again.

"If anything, with this young team, the new set-up benefits us because they're going to take eight teams," said O'Boyle. "Our goal is to get there."

With a young team that features only three seniors, O'Boyle expects them to take their lumps. But he's confident this group will once again rise to the occasion.