Last season, Whitehall had a rather inexperienced lineup that nearly worked its way to a district berth. The Zephyrs finished with an overall 9-11 mark, and a 6-9 slate in the East Penn Conference (EPC).

This season, second-year head coach Eric Schmitt and his squad are ready to take the next step. With a horde of now seasoned upperclassmen, the Zephyrs have their sights set on the postseason.

“We just missed districts last year,” said Schmitt. “We finished with some strong scrimmages and we managed to get them all in with our JV and freshman teams.

“We had guys last year who gained a lot of experience, and they started to believe in themselves. We’re ready to get going.”

Schmitt is confident about his pitching staff this season led by junior Evan Kovalchik and senior Tyler Mastropieri. Juniors Dylan Carfara and Aurelias Haddad and sophomore Matt Rader will also be in the mix. Haddad missed last season with an injury. Nick Lindemuth, who had four wins last year, graduated.

“We have a few arms to work with,” added Schmitt. “We just have to avoid injuries, which hurt us last year. When Haddad went down, that hurt us. But we definitely have some depth there.”

In the infield, senior Jace Duld returns at first as a major power outlet with two homers and 21 RBIs. Karfars will be at short, and senior Owen Ness will be at second. Rader and sophomore Zach Schaedel are in a battle for third. Junior Robert Yankovy will be behind the plate.

Senior Alex Kotsch will be in center field with Mastropieri likely in right. Freshman Seth Howderewski has been impressive and should see significant time. Senior Dylan Koury also will be in the mix.

The Zephyrs will be without Bryce Bashore, who led them in several categories last season, and was a fixture in the outfield.

“One of the areas that we need to work on is the outfield.” said Schmitt. “Playing right field with the sun and the wind at Whitehall is tough.

“Howderewski has looked good, and Koury will help us.”

With plenty of returnees and a solid chemistry, Schmitt is confident his team can flourish. The Zephyrs opened their season Tuesday against Allentown Central Catholic at Limeport Stadium.

“Our coaches have done a great job in advancing our kids, especially the pitchers,” said Schmitt. “We have a lot of kids who have bought into the program.

“We’re ready to hit the ground running.”