Strength in Numbers

With new baseball coach Cassidy Olson preparing for his first year at the helm and 11 seniors returning, Mira Costa High School looks primed for a strong season where it expects to contend for a Bay League Championship.

Reluctant to acknowledge the high expectations he faces, Olson said his hopes for the season are simple.

"It sounds cliché, but with so many seniors I really just want them to go out and have fun and have a great senior season," he said.

The Mustangs finished the 2009 season under former coach Mike Neily with a record of 20-12, 7-3 and finished second in the Bay League behind a strong Palos Verdes team.

However, with a veteran-laden lineup, anticipation is building.

Schools like Palos Verdes and Peninsula will provide tough opposition in the Bay League, but there is no reason why Mira Costa's senior leaders can't lead this team to a Bay League championship in its first season under Olson.

Here's a look around the diamond:

CATCHER: Senior Ian Neal will be the Mustangs' backstop once again this season. Neal is one of four seniors who played under Olson as a freshman on Mira Costa's JV team in 2006.

FIRST BASE: Power-hitting left-hander Jake Jelmini will be at first base, and along with Lucas Whitehill should provide much of the power for Mira Costa's lineup. Jelmini is coming off a fantastic season in 2009, hitting .400 with three home runs and 33 RBIs. Olson said Jelmini is being heavily recruited by many colleges.

SECOND BASE: Olson will turn to Danny Rojas to take over at second base. Rojas saw limited playing time last season, hitting just .200, while appearing in only 20 games. Nonetheless, Olson said he is excited about Rojas' potential in his first full season as a starter.

THIRD BASE: Dalton Barge will man the hot corner for Mira Costa, he saw very limited action last season, but Olson said that with his solid combination of skills on offense and defense, Barge should be a strong contributor to Mira Costa's success this season.

SHORTSTOP: Kyle Demarco returns at shortstop for Mira Costa in 2010. Demarco, who is also starting quarterback for the football team, batted .429 last year with a homer and 30 RBIs in 32 games. Expect the senior to improve on those numbers this season.

OUTFIELDERS: Lucas Whitehill returns to lead the outfield and is one of the most feared hitters in the Bay League. Whitehill, who has already signed to attend Brown University next season, hit .330 with five homers and 36 RBIs last season. He'll be joined by Jackson Morrow, who will also see some time at catcher. Morrow hit .258 with a homer and 10 RBIs last year. Mira Costa's biggest problem will be trying to replace center fielder Austin Chavira, who hit .381 last season. Three juniors (Brett Collins, Brian Afzali and Sean Isaac) will battle it out for the final outfield spot. Olson said the battle between the three will be one to watch as Mira Costa nears its first game.

PITCHING: Whitehill will help lead the Mustang pitching staff. He finished with a 2-2 record last season with a 1.58 Earned Run Average and 29 strikeouts. He'll be joined in the rotation by Drew Van Orden, who has committed to play at Duke next year. Van Orden finished 2009 with a 4-3 record, a 4.01 ERA and 39 strikeouts. Robert Parucha rounds out the Mustangs rotation. Sean Isaac and sophomore lefty Anthony Lombardo will be key contributors out of the bullpen for Mira Costa.