For Whitehall’s baseball team, it was one of those years.

The Zephyrs experienced a roller coaster of emotions that saw them begin the year with a fast start and later hold on to receive a district berth with an overall 10-10 record.

They took an early exit in the district despite a hard-fought, 8-6 loss to Pleasant Valley in which they had a 3-0 lead and pushed across two runs in the top of seventh.

However, injuries played a huge role in the Zephyrs’ season, a trend that blazed a different path. The Zephyrs did manage to clinch a district bid for the first time since 2017 and their 9-7 mark in the East Penn Conference (EPC) was their best conference slate since 2015.

Whitehall admittedly has some momentum heading into the season from a strong finish in which they just missed the district playoffs.

“It was an unusual year,” said second-year skipper Eric Schmitt. “We had a lot of injuries, and there was some other stuff.

“We went through a lot of adjustments and dealt with adversity. But I had a better feeling at the end of last season than I did this year.”

The Zephyrs will lose six seniors from its current roster, and Schmitt is excited about the influx of 21 freshmen this season, who will all help cement a future foundation.

Among those underclassmen who made a major contribution were Seth Hoderewski, Talon Dogmanits, Jack Loyd, and Tyler Sanders.

Schmitt noted Hoderewski’s presence and contributions.

“He (Hoderewski) finished the year on varsity,” said Schmitt. “He always gave 110 percent, and did whatever he could to help the team. He stood out among the rest of them, and was at the top of the list.

“Some people thought it was going to be a mistake carrying this many freshmen, but I think it will benefit us in the end.”

Schmitt also is confident that catcher Robby Yankowy and pitcher Aurealis Haddad can lead the surge in their senior season next year. Junior Evan Kovalchik likely will miss all of next season with his elbow injury.

“We got a good group of kids coming back,” said Schmitt. “Our younger guys learned and realized some things this year, and that should help them next season.