When the Whitehall baseball team reconvenes this spring, they’ll bring with them an arsenal of strong arms that should put them right in the mix among the league’s top contenders.

The Zephs will rely on a strong rotation this year, with four pitchers returning from last year’s squad that earned a postseason berth. On the staff will be southpaws Alex Bruneio, Zach Gilbert and Matt Dobeck, along with right-handers Zach Hamscher and Matt Ziminsky. Of that group, Bruneio, Gilbert, Hamscher and Dobeck logged a lot of innings last season, while Ziminsky got a start last year against St. Peter’s Prep. Those five pitchers will form the cornerstone of this year’s team.

With a such deep staff, manager Shaun O’Boyle believes they’ll be able to utilize a number of arms in any given game to throw at the opposition.

“I think this is the deepest staff I ever had in my thirteen years coaching,” said O’Boyle who’s entering his sixth season as the skipper (he also spent five years as the assistant coach).

Not only is it deep, but they’re also young. Dobeck, Hamscher, Bruneio and Gilbert are all juniors, while Ziminsky is a sophomore.

O’Boyle said the whole staff throws pretty hard, while Dobeck also fits into that crafty lefty category.

With the luxury of a deep staff, O’Boyle said that the staff’s mindset should be giving it everything they have, whether that’s four innings, or more, because they can hand the ball off to another capable arm.

“It’ll be the next guy up,” he said.

He doesn’t see the need for his pitchers to go late into games this season. Those five should be able to absorb most of the workload, whether it’s starting or relieving.

Last year they finished 10-11 and were fourth in the Skyline Division. They made the district playoffs and were ousted by Emmaus in the opening round.

As they begin the 2016 season, their goals remain the same, said O’Boyle. They want to win the their division, become champs of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, and take home a district crown. O’Boyle believes that their journey starts with focusing on getting to another plateau.

“Our first goal is to get to 10 wins as quick as you can,” said O’Boyle. “Then you see where you are at that point.”

The Skyline Division is probably the most competitive again this season and the Zephs will need to score runs. They’ll return leading run producer Ruben “Javy” Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a senior, plated 18 RBIs last season. O’Boyle said that Rodriguez has been tearing the cover off the ball during practice. Since the weather has been accommodating thus far, they’ve seen a lot of live pitching and Rodriguez has been making good contact and hitting the ball hard.

“He’s really looked good at the plate,” said O’Boyle.

Rodriguez will play second this season, while fellow senior, Gianni Sinatore, will be in center field. Sinatore, a three-year starter, batted .300 last season. After spending much of his time in the leadoff spot, O’Boyle will most likely drop him down in the order. That way Sinatore can get into RBI situations to help the Zephs push across runs.

Behind the plate is another senior, Austin Dreisbach. O’Boyle said that Dreisbach battled injuries for most of last season, but would have seen a lot of playing time if he was healthy. This year he’ll be doing the catching duties, handling the pitching staff and suppling pop from the batter’s box.

At first is senior David “DJ” Laky. Laky hit .273 last season and will be another potent bat in their lineup.

Senior Jarrod Miller will be flashing the leather at the hot corner. He’s another experienced player who will give the Zephs solid defense and an offensive spark.

Fighting for one of the outfield spots will be senior Noah Kline. Right now he’s the fourth option, but that could change, said O’Boyle. He has plenty of experience and will provide much needed depth. He’s also in the mix for backup catcher as well, along with newcomer Paul Helman, a junior.

Those six seniors will provide leadership for a team that’s looking to contend for a league title. O’Boyle knows he’s got a strong group who the underclassmen can lean on as they compete in the EPC.

At shortstop this season will be Hamscher. When Hamscher is on the mound, sophomore Ziminsky will play short. O’Boyle said that Ziminsky will be their utility player this season, spelling teammates at second and third as well.

Dobeck is going to be in right field. He batted .333 last season and is expected to lead off this season, according to O’Boyle.

Left field will be manned by Bruneio. Bruneio is another returning player who has some pop in his bat. The junior hit .317 last season.

Newcomer Robbie Lamm will vie for one of the outfield spots as well. The sophomore will probably see time in left field, while their other newcomer, Ziminsky, will be part of their courtesy runner rotation.

O’Boyle expects both newcomers to play a big role. He’s excited about the prospects of this season, having a team with a good mix of veterans and youth.

He also doesn’t foresee any offensive problems this season. Last year they struggled at times to score runs, but he believes that with their pitching staff, four or five runs a game should suffice. Moreover, he believes that with another year under their belts, they should be more at ease against varsity pitching.

“I think that this could be a year that there’s not an easy out in the lineup,” said O’Boyle.

The Zephs travel down to South Carolina this week for their annual pilgrimage to The Ripken Experience. They’ll play Liverpool High School (N.Y.) on Saturday.