Bryden Hall has played first base since he was old enough to be positioned somewhere. The length helps — long wingspan, long reach, good at making errant throws disappear. Rhett Lambert has played shortstop just as long, quick enough to cover the ground the position demands. Both grew up here, both started in T-ball through the park district, and both played travel ball through local organizations before joining the Centralia High School program. Neither of them has ever seriously considered playing anywhere else on the diamond.

Bryden is a senior. Rhett is a junior. Their coach is Todd Bauer, a Centralia graduate himself (Class of 2002) who played college ball at McKendree College before returning home, beginning his teaching career, and coaching baseball here since the spring of 2007. He also coaches football and teaches PE and driver's education. He has seen a lot of seasons. He's not ready to predict this one yet, but he likes what he's seen in practice.

Last year's team went 17-15, won the regional opener against Mount Vernon, and fell to Marion in the regional championship — a 2-1 game that was competitive until the final innings. It was the second straight year Marion had ended Centralia's postseason run in the same round. Both Bryden and Rhett say they believe this year's team can do better. "I think we have all-around pretty good players," Rhett says. "If they come and want to play, we'll do good." Bryden points to something harder to quantify: "I feel like we have good team chemistry — even from these few practices, I can feel it coming together."

Coach Bauer is measured in his expectations, the way experienced coaches tend to be in March. The team typically plays 30 to 35 games in a regular season, numbers fluctuating with spring weather and rain-outs. Winning them all is the wish; being competitive in every game is the goal. The formula is familiar: throw strikes, play defense, compete at the plate. "Just give ourselves the best chance in every game," Bauer says. "Last year, we did that for the most part."

This year's roster includes roughly ten freshmen — an unusually large class — which is both a sign of health for the program and a logistical puzzle for early in the season. A handful of upperclassmen are also working through injuries. The JV team, which plays on days when varsity doesn't have a game, will give those freshmen competitive reps, with assistant coach Jace Hughes handling most of those games. The other assistants — Tony Stoecklin, Derek Harlan, and Kevin Pryor — round out a staff that Bauer describes with genuine appreciation. Harlan coached Bauer himself when he was in high school, and the two have remained connected ever since.

Rhett had a standout sophomore year — batting over .400, earning first-team all-conference honors — and is expected to take on even more responsibility this season, including some time on the mound. He's reluctant about pitching but has the ability. Bryden, a quiet leader by Bauer's description, captained the football team as well. "He's not necessarily vocal," Bauer says, "but he goes out and does what he's supposed to do. I think a lot of kids will follow him." After graduation, Bryden heads to the University of Evansville to pursue physical therapy with the Purple Aces. Rhett, a junior, is focused on college baseball and has an interest in criminal justice — he's been looking into police internships — with the college destination still to be determined.

The field is about a mile north of campus, which means younger players without licenses take an activity bus to practice and games. Most upperclassmen drive themselves. Equipment is largely personal — every player has their own glove, most have their own bat, and there's something Coach Bauer understands about that preference from his own playing days. You break a glove in a certain way. You want a certain grip on a bat. The school has catcher's gear available for those who need it, but many catchers bring their own, too.

What Bauer says he most wants his players to carry away from the program has nothing to do with batting averages. "Being accountable, having good character, being on time, being employable adults — transitioning what you learn through sports to your everyday life," he says. Both Rhett and Bryden have a simpler message for the community: come to a game. Admission is free. Bring a chair. "The fans that do show up, it means a lot," Bryden says. The season opens in about a week.