CATCHING ON: Princeton High catcher Will Greenberg returns the ball to the pitcher in a game last year. Greenberg is a leader of a large group of battle-tested seniors who are looking to improve on the 5-19 record PHS posted in 2011. The Little Tigers, who started their 2012 campaign by losing 10-0 to Notre Dame last Monday, host Hopewell Valley on April 4 before playing at Hightstown on April 9 and at Princeton Day School on April 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Dave Roberts is confident that he is on the same page with his players on the Princeton High baseball team as the squad heads into the 2012 season.

“This is a group that has only known me as the head coach,” said Roberts who is entering his fourth year at the helm of the PHS program.

“They know what I want and what I expect. They are focused. We have time to work on the fine points; we don’t have to worry about basics.”

PHS boasts a large group of battle-tested seniors as it looks to improve on the 5-19 record it posted in 2011.

“It is now or never for the seniors, they have been through it,” said Roberts, whose senior group includes Will Greenberg, Matt Hoffman, Ben Harrison, Nico Mercuro, Alex Mitko, Mike Dunlap, and Mike Manley.

“Four of them, Greenberg, Mercuro, Harrison, Hoffman, have been starters since they were sophomores.”

The PHS mound corps has been through a lot. “We have tons of experience; every single guy has varsity experience,” asserted Roberts, whose team started the season by losing 10-0 to Notre Dame last Monday.

“Alter had two wins and a save last year while Dunlap pitched 30 innings. Harrison had a rough year last year. As a sophomore he won two games; we are expecting a bounce back year from him. Rohit Chawla is outstanding; we could use him as a spot starter or in relief. Ellis Bloom pitched 10-12 innings last year; he comes right in from third base and warms up quickly. He pitches out of the stretch all the time; we like to use him in relief.”

Roberts likes his infield, which features Mercuro at shortstop, junior Matt Farinick at second base, and Harrison at first, in addition to junior Bloom at third.

“They are tight and sharp; they have had a very nice spring,” said Roberts, who also gets sharp play at catcher from Greenberg. “They are a good unit; I think they will be really good.”

The Little Tiger outfield is shaping into a good unit with Mitko on center field flanked by Hoffman in right and Manley in left.

“We have the same guys in center field and right field,” added Roberts. “Manley has stepped up as a senior; he was injured a lot as a junior.”

With run production figuring to be down across the board due to the less-lively BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) bats now being standard, PHS is looking to take advantage of its speed.

The top of the Little Tiger order is athletic with Bloom at leadoff, Mitko at No. 2, Hoffman in the three hole, Mercuro at cleanup, and Greenberg batting fifth.

“We have the same top five in the batting order as last year; the best thing is that they are our fastest guys and they can all steal bases,” said Roberts.

“We have really been working on our baserunning this spring. We have been working on hit and run, bunting, stealing bases. We are going to have to manufacture runs.”

In Roberts’ view, PHS could manufacture a lot of wins this spring. “I think we have real good potential,” asserted Roberts, whose team hosts Hopewell Valley on April 4 before playing at Hightstown on April 9 and at Princeton Day School on April 10.

“The focus is there; the guys have worked hard. Our success boils down to two things — can we be smart on the bases and can we produce enough runs. We don’t have strikeout pitchers but they throw strikes and I am confident we will play good defense. We have to do the little things on offense.”

Having so many veterans in his lineup gives Roberts the confidence that his team will take care of those little things.

“I think the experience factor will help us,” said Roberts, noting that the Little Tigers fell just short in a number of close games last spring.

“We have been there before in close games and I don’t think we should be tight in those situations this year.”