If baseball practice ever gets tedious at Xavier High School this season, Coach Dave Schemmel could simply blow his whistle and tell the guys to line up for a game of touch football.

These Saints would know exactly what to do.

Schemmel has 28 players on his roster this season, and 21 of them played football last fall and helped Xavier reach the championship game of the Class 4A playoffs and finish with a sparkling 13-1 record.

Many of the same guys who excelled in football have helped the Saints get off to a fast start in baseball, too.

Xavier whipped the Washington Warriors, 11-1, in six innings Thursday night to win the Bob Vrbicek Metro Baseball Tournament at the Linn-Mar complex.

Corbin Woods, an elite all-state receiver, belted his third homer in three games. Reggie Schulte, an all-state quarterback, went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs. Luke Hammerberg, another football player, also went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Adam Pick (not a football player) struck out eight batters in four innings as Xavier cruised to the victory.

The Saints think their success on the gridiron has translated into success on the baseball diamond.

"I think it definitely does," said Woods, who has six extra-base hits in three games. "We have very good athletes and the skills from football definitely apply to baseball, and their baseball skills are just as good.

"I think football has given a focus, not only to myself, but to the whole team. We need to attack practice the way we would a game and get better with each day."

The Saints (3-0) cruised through the Metro Tournament with a 12-1 victory over Jefferson, a 4-0 verdict over Linn-Mar and the 11-1 victory over Washington. They got strong pitching from Mitch Keller, Zach Brown (a no-hitter against Linn-Mar) and Pick to stamp themselves as the team to beat in the Metro this year.

"I'm very pleased with our pitching," said Schemmel. "I'm encouraged there."

Schemmel said there's definitely a correlation between the successful football season and the beginning of the 2013 baseball campaign.

"When you've got kids that know what hard work does for you and that you can be successful, that fosters a good attitude and it carries over. It sure does," he said.

Schemmel has never had this many players on the team during his 15 years as Xavier's head coach. He prefers 15 or 16 guys, but he's done his best to give as many players a chance in the first three contests.

Schemmel used 22 players against Washington and at one point used a pinch-runner for a courtesy runner, just to get another guy on the field.

"I try to remember, who hasn't played? And then I'm trying to think, 'OK, what's his name?'," Schemmel said with a smile.

"I've got my little cheat card that I look at, and I've never had to do that before," he said, displaying the printed roster he carries in his back pocket. "We'll get as many guys in as we can, when we can."

The Saints struck early Thursday. Bryce Grimm led off with a walk and Woods belted a two-run homer to right field for a quick 2-0 lead.

Hammerberg and Schulte furnished RBI singles in the top of the first inning and it was 4-0 before the Warriors came to bat.

The Saints made it 11-0 in the top of the sixth and won the game by the 10-run rule in the bottom of the sixth after the Warriors (1-2) scored their only run.

The Xavier pitching staff has allowed only six hits in three games. Jefferson collected three hits, Linn-Mar did not get any against Brown, and Washington had three hits Thursday.

The Saints have more good pitchers who haven't had a chance yet.

"A lot of depth," said Pick. "You always have someone go in when you get tired, so you don't get tired."

It's early in the season, but it appears Xavier has the pitching, hitting and defense to have a highly successful season.

"I believe so," said Pick. "I don't see why we can't."

"Like football, we're a close group," said Woods. "They're all into the game, which is good. There's a lot of team chemistry and I think everybody enjoys the game of baseball, which is good."

XAVIER (11): Grimm, cf, 3 1 1 0, Drahozal, ph/cf, 0 0 0 1, Woods, ss, 3 1 1 2, Clarahan, ph, 1 0 0 0, Pick, p/1b, 3 0 0 0, Gardner, cr, 0 0 0 0, Brown, 3b, 4 1 0 0, Herder, pr, 0 1 0 0, Ratz, rf, 3 0 1 0, Miller, pr/rf, 0 2 0 0, Harriott, lf, 1 1 0 0, Meaney, ph/lf, 2 1 1 0, Hammerberg, c, 3 0 2 2, Drahozal, cr, 0 1 0 0, O'Connell, cr, 0 1 0 0, Helms, c, 0 0 0 0, Keller, 2b, 3 1 2 1, Schulte, 1b, 3 0 2 2, Robinson, pr, 0 0 0 0, Schemmel, p, 0 0 0 1, K.Dlouhy, pr, 0 0 0 0, Scott, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 29 11 10 9.

WASHINGTON (1): Dostal, c/ss, 2 1 0 0, Lombardi, ss/p, 2 0 0 0, Hand, p, 0 0 0 0, Wenndt, ph, 1 0 0 0, Puk, 1b, 2 0 1 0, Dobbs, 3b, 2 0 1 0, Burdt, rf, 3 0 1 1, Gillis, dh, 3 0 0 0, Christensen, p, 0 0 0 0, Harrington, p, 0 0 0 0, Loeffelholz, c, 0 0 0 0, Nichols, 2b, 1 0 0 0, Akers, lf, 2 0 0 0, Troendle, cf, 2 0 0 0. Totals 20 1 3 1.

Xavier           400 124 - 11 10 0
Washington  000 001 -  1   3  2

Pick, Schemmel (5), Scott (6) and Hammerberg, Helms (6). Christensen, Harrington (1), Lombardi (5), Hand (6) and Dostal, Loeffelholz (5). W - Pick. L - Christensen. 2B - Dobbs. HR - Woods. SB - Grimm, Woods.