With half more than half of last year’s starting line up returning along with a couple of experienced starting pitchers, the Parkland baseball team has a nice foundation to build upon after making a run to the 2024 district title game.

On top of that foundation the Trojans have a few players who missed time with injuries last season and are looking to be back in the lineup this spring, along with the players who gained experience filling in for them last season.

“We’re excited about this group of guys,” said PHS head coach Kurt Weber. “The junior class that’s coming in is one of our better classes. Add those to what we have returning, we’re excited. We have 12 guys that we feel comfortable pitching.”

The Trojans are deep and talented, and might have more worthy players than are allowed to occupy a line up. Weber knows his team will have several players who deserve to start but won’t be able to every day.

He hopes players who aren’t starting on a given day stay ready to get in the game or maybe start the next one.

“We have a deep team,” he said. “We have lots of options. That can be good and bad.

“We could use guys who are hot and stay with the hot hands as long as the guys buy into it. That’s going to be my challenge. It’s great to have competition because it keeps guys working, but if they take the wrong attitude it could sink us.”

Parkland graduated three starting position players and three pitchers who accounted for 74.1 of the team’s 149.2 innings pitched last season.

This year’s staff will likely be led by senior Steve Sepko, who was last year’s ace before an injury shortened his season.

Sepko pitched 21.1 innings last season with a 3-1 record and a 0.98 ERA. Seniors Mackaden Parsell (10.2 IP, 3.28 ERA), Nate Unger (10 IP, 4.90 ERA) and Julian Santiago (9.2 IP, 5.79 ERA) also return this season, along with sophomore Ben Weninger (16 IP, 2.19 ERA), who had a stellar freshman season.

Senior short stop Will Dobil returns for Parkland after batting .403 with 16 RBIs last season and tying for a team high with six doubles. Junior Chase Brunner batted .385 last season while getting some starts as an outfielder.

Junior Jack Streeter batted .429 in five games and just eight plate appearances while sharing time behind the plate with classmate Grant Damweber (.333) after starting catcher Broden Morabito was injured. Morabito, a senior, comes back after batting .350 in nine games last season.

Last year’s injuries likely hurt the Trojans’ chances in the postseason, when they lost to Liberty in the first round of the East Penn Conference playoffs and again in the District 11 final.

Parkland finished the 2024 season 17-7 overall after going 7-3 in the EPC.

Last year was the second straight season Parkland lost to Liberty in the district title game. While the Hurricanes also return a lot of last year’s team, the league will be deep and competitive this season, Weber said.

Parkland will certainly be in the mix in the league and district as it seeks its first championship since winning 2018’s EPC title.