Patience.

It can be a calling card for the Catasauqua baseball team this spring.

The Rough Riders entered the season with four returning starters and a host of JV players making the move to varsity. They are coming off a 3-17 campaign last season.

Catty began it season with a 16-0 loss to Southern Lehigh in its opener March 21. The team also has been in a transition receiving six players from the basketball team that advanced to the second round of the state tournament.

“We’re a very young team,” said head coach Steve Bradley. “We have a number of kids who should be playing JV this season. They are getting thrown into the fire.

“But the kids gave been great. They have done everything we have asked of them. We just got six kids from basketball, and we entered the season with just one scrimmage. Southern Lehigh had played a number of games before they faced us.”

Senior Matt Fotta, who hit .344 last season with 15 RBIs, is back at first base, and senior Lynkan Moore will be in the outfield. Junior Reece Lopez, who hit .234, is back at short, and he will also see time on the mound. Fellow junior Luis Collazo, who started against Southern Lehigh, will also spend time in the middle infield.

Freshman Joey Conway and Cody Roth began the season at catcher and second base respectively. Sophomore Reese Savercool will handle third base. Conway also is expected to play first, third, and pitch. Sophomore Asael Gonzalez will see time at second, short, and third.

Junior Gavin Hacker and senior Marcos Gonzalez will see time in the outfield.

Senior Macks Gillette and sophomore Alex Bolmer are expected to be in the rotation. Fotta, who threw briefly last season, also should be in the pitching mix. Collazo is currently considered as the team’s number one pitcher.

“As far as pitching, we have a number of kids who we will look at,” said Bradley. “We have a lot of kids who are willing to pitch, but we don’t have a fireballer. We have kids who all throw around 75 miles per hour.”

The Roughies season will be tough this year.

“We have a rough schedule to start the season,” stated Bradley. “We have a number of kids who will play many positions. We just have to catch up. We’ll give it our best every time out there.”