This year’s Salisbury varsity baseball team will feature a lot of experience in the line up. Eight of last year’s starters return from a team that went 7-13 overall and 6-12 in Colonial League with just one senior on the roster.

Quinn Warmkessel was the only graduate from last year’s team, leaving an open spot at the top of the pitching rotation heading into this season.

But the Falcons will have several experienced pitchers returning in senior Tim Schware (2.67 ERA in 2021) and junior Lucas Graver (3.08), along with sophomores Thomas Lovelidge and Andrew Grejda.

All four of those pitchers are returning starters as Schware (1B), Lovelidge (2B) and Grejda can play infield positions when not on the mound and Graver can man the outfield.

Also returning from last season are seniors Hunter Rothrock (SS) and Paul Spann (1B/DH) and sophomores Jacob Bucchin (CF) and Jordan Tocci (C).

Tocci (.316 batting average last season) and Rothrock (.300) are the team’s top returning hitters, while Rothrock (15) and Bucchin (11) had the most RBIs last season of the returning players. Newcomers Matt Nunez (Jr, INF/P) and Nick Beck (Jr./OF) will also play key roles on this year’s team.

“Everyone is back this year and some have the same role, others obviously have roles that expanded,” said head coach Justin Aungst. “As right now, I feel like we haven’t found a true identity as a team. A few games into the season we will have a better idea of that.

“Our goals are simple. Be competitive every time we step on the field. Play loose, play hard and good things will come.”

While this year’s Falcons will still be one of the younger teams in the Colonial League, they don’t lack experience.

After last year’s varsity season, many of the players on this year’s team were part of a Salisbury American Legion team that won the Lehigh Valley League and competed in the PA American Legion Regional playoffs in July. Schware and Grejda were two of that team’s top pitchers during its playoff run.

“Quite a few [of this year’s Salisbury varsity players] were on both varsity and legion last year and getting more experience with the bigger field dimensions has helped tremendously,” said Aungst. “Coming into last year, the now-sophomore class had never played on a 90 foot base field.”

The Falcons’ first two games of the season were postponed, including a nonleague games last Saturday against Dieruff and Monday’s home game against Northern Lehigh, which was rescheduled to Tuesday. They continue with road games Friday (at Wilson), next Monday (at Northwestern) and Wednesday, April 6 (at Palisades) before hosting rival Southern Lehigh on Friday, April 8 at 4 p.m.