The Whitehall baseball team will be well armed this year as their strong pitching rotation remains intact, forming the foundation on the 2017 campaign.

All five starters return from a playoff team that finished 13-9 last year. That’s good news for the Zephyrs and bad news for the rest of the league.

The Zephs rotation will feature junior Matt Ziminsky, and seniors Matt Dobeck, Alex Bruneio, Zach Gilbert and Zach Hamscher. That five-man rotation has a lot of experience, and if inclement weather causes postponements in which their schedule gets compressed, manager Shaun O’Boyle said that they have enough depth on the mound to see them through those situations.

“We’re going to be tough as far as pitching goes,” said O’Boyle who is preparing his team for their annual excursion to the Cal Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach this week.

With the talent returning on the hill, O’Boyle is once again stressing the need to be consistent at the plate. Last year they ran into a tough spell midway through the season, scoring just nine runs over six games. That stretch resulted in just one win, a 3-2 victory over St. Peter’s Prep (N.J).

“If we score runs, we’ll be good,” said O’Boyle. “That’s our focus.”

O’Boyle believes that if they average five runs a game, the outlook on the year will be extremely bright.

“If we do that, we’ll win a lot of games,” said O’Boyle.

With the team confined to the gym because of the snow, hitting is all they’ve been able to do, and that gives them an opportunity to work on that aspect of their game. It’s also given O’Boyle a reason to be optimistic.

“I think our offense will be better than last year,” he said.

The team also returns a number of their leading hitters. Topping that list is Bruneio who batted .304. He also led the team in homers with three and RBIs with 20. He’ll play left field this season as well as pitch.

Another leading hitter back in the fold is Dobeck. He batted .325 last season and was tied for the team lead in hits with 25. Dobeck will also be playing right field on days he isn’t pitching.

Ziminsky provides another bat that can add pop to their lineup. He batted .263 last season and knocked in six runs. He’ll be playing third and shortstop this season in addition to pitching.

The Zephs have a number of players vying for spots all over the diamond this season. They have a number of positions to fill due to graduation and catcher is one of those positions. Right now senior Paul Helman has the inside leg on the starter’s job, while junior Jake Lisicky will handle the backup role.

At first base, three players will be looking to nail down the position as Gilbert, junior Jack Kaintz and senior Hunter Kern will be battling for that spot.

Second base will feature junior newcomer Ben Antonchak, a junior, along with sophomore Andrew Snyder. Both players are looking to take hold of the position, while shortstop will see Hamscher and Ziminsky split time depending on which one of them is pitching.

Third base is another crowded field with Ziminsky firmly entrenched in the spot when he’s not pitching. However, on those days when he’s on the mound, senior Eric Smith and freshman Joe Lisicky will also be part of the mix.

O’Boyle said that Joe Lisicky is a player who could see a lot of varsity playing time. He’s all ready made an impression on the coaching staff and it may be hard to keep him out of the lineup.

Junior Robbie Lamm will take over in center field. Lamm, who saw some time late last season, made the most of his opportunities, batting .333. He also got a couple of hits off Parkland standout Mike Jenkins in their district playoff game.

Additionally, junior Ryan Pavone, sophomore Adin Hoderewski, and Gilbert, will also be part of the outfield rotation for the Zephs, with Hoderewski being someone who can play multiple positions for the Zephs.

O’Boyle said the team will once again visit Springs Brooks Stadium, home of Costal Carolina and the alma mater of current Zephyr coach Chris Raber. They’re scheduled to be in attendance when the Chanticleers host Arkansas State this Friday. The Chanticleers may view the Zephs as a good-luck charm since last year’s preseason visit to the Costal Carolina complex coincided with them winning the 2016 NCAA College World Series.

But the trip will also allow the team to get a lot of work in, and O’Boyle believes practicing twice a day will work to their advantage. They look forward to the trip each year.