Xavier is looking to pick up the pace and be a bit more aggressive this season, and with four of its top five pitchers returning and a junior group to provide some much needed speed it looks as though the Saints are ready to take off.

The Saints lost only three players from their 21-15 team of 2012. Gone are all-around standout Mack Mattke’s .383 hitting and 3-3 pitching record, Tyler Hines’ 2-2 record and solid second baseman Mitch St. Andrews, who contributed a .341 average.

Their leadership will have to be picked up by the returning nucleus.

Also missing for at least a portion of the season will be Drew Scott, who will be taking classes at Kansas State and preparing to be the long snapper on the K-State football team.

Seniors Corbin Woods (3-3) and Zack Brown (3-2), along with juniors Mitch Keller (4-0) and Adam Pick (2-2), will form the core of the Xavier pitching rotation. Juniors Bryce Grimm, Evan Nolan, Wes Gardner and Baldus Hunter will be expected to compete for innings as well.

Woods (.300) and Brown (.385) held down shortstop and third base, respectively, last season. They should be joined and challenged in some cases by a group of juniors.

Pick (.382) played some first base last year and Keller played shortstop when Woods pitched or moved around to other positions. Daniel Vega led the highly successful sophomore team in hitting last year and he has to figure at first or third base. Gardner is an infielder as well.

Grimm (.292) seems set in center field, but there figures to be a lot of competition for the other two outfield positions. Returning outfielders Jordan Ratz (.286), Ryan Meaney (.319) and Jake Harriott (.377) shared the two positions last year.

Juniors Nick Drahozal and Brenden Miller also will be figured into the mix.

Ben Helms (.294) and Luke Hammerberg (.217) shared catching duties last year in a rotation that may also include Hunter this year.

“I think we have a potential to score a lot of runs this year,” said Xavier Coach Dave Schemmel. “We have four of our top five pitchers back and we have a lot more speed. We will be able to be more aggressive.

"Playing time could be a challenge, but I think we have the potential to be improved and we were decent before.”

With a solid core returning and a strong group of juniors who saw success at the sophomore level, I think the Saints could be right there at the top again.

Woods has signed to play at Heartland (Ill.) Community College next year.