Although they lost quite a few core players from last year's provincial championship team, the Estevan Sherritt Coal Haulers believe they can make another run at a title in 2013.
With star pitcher Carson Perkins, several other key returnees and a group of newcomers who can make an impact, the bantam AA baseball club isn't dimming its expectations at all.
"I don't see any reason why we're not competing for the provincial title again this year," said returning head coach Kent Phillips.
The Haulers kick off their regular season in the Baseball Regina bantam AAA division on Sunday with a doubleheader in Swift Current.
Their home opener is on Tuesday against Weyburn. Game time is 6 p.m. at Cactus Park.
The team's losses include pitcher Brandon Hutt, who dominated last year's provincial championship game on the mound and at the plate, along with Colton Gingras, Mitchel Clark, Bailey Lonsberry and Preston Hutt.
But Perkins, entering his second year of bantam, is reaching speeds of 84 miles per hour and Phillips believes he is the top bantam-age hurler in Saskatchewan.
"The top pitcher in the whole province will be on our team, so there'll be nobody that can touch him," he said. "(84 mph) is unheard of at the bantam level."
The Haulers' pitching staff also includes three players who can throw in the low-to-mid 70s range.
Of the 12 players who made the team, nine can pitch, with Phillips looking for the same kind of depth on the mound that helped last year's team win provincials.
"That's going to be one of our strengths, for the simple reason that we do have some guys with live arms and we also have a lot of arms. Once you start getting into tournaments and provincials, having those extra two or three pitchers that other teams don't have is key to getting into the later provincial rounds," he said.
Kyler Phillips will be another pitcher expected to eat up a lot of innings.
The Haulers have added four players from Carlyle, where there is no AA program this year.
They include Brady Third, Kyle Sargent, Dalton Loustel and Josh Brown. Phillips is excited about Third, in particular.
"Without even playing a game yet, I have him figured in as my leadoff batter. That kid is always on base. You just can't get him out, he's so darn fast.
"With four of the new guys being second-year players, I've got quite a few expectations for them too, because they know what AA ball is all about."
The Haulers are also adding a pair of pitchers from last year's peewee Tornados team in Brett MacMurchy and Hunter Piche.
Phillips said the team's success this year will come down to what they can do at the plate.
"It'll all depend on hitting. I think defensively we'll be fine, and we've got the pitching. It'll depend on whether we can manufacture runs at key times."
He's also hoping last year's championship experience will be a benefit to the returning players.
"It gives them renewed confidence too. We got to play an extra month of ball that we don't usually play, due to going to westerns," said Phillips, adding that it also gave the Carlyle players an extra reason to play in Estevan instead of Weyburn.
