WATERTOWN – Last season the Watertown Luther Prep baseball team ran rough shot over the Capitol Conference Northern Division, losing just once within conference, and walked away with the conference crown only to lose in the opening round of the WIAA Division 2 postseason.

A motivated group is back to make amends for that loss with sights on first repeating as Capitol-North champs.

On a team with just three seniors, it’s going to be all about finding leadership and maturing inexperienced talent on the varsity level in a hurry.

“Like any young team with young pitching, it’s going to be all about that experience on the mound,” Luther Prep coach Pete Kiecker said. “We’re going to have to piece games together with guys a lot more this year.”

Saying there is no talent on the Phoenix roster would be wrong, as there is talent, just not experienced at this level.

Junior southpaw Jake Ziel will be the ace to start the year for the Phoenix, moving up from the No. 3 spot in the rotation.

Luther Prep does have senior catcher Joel Hering, who earned the honor in his first year behind the plate last year and really came into his own, Kiecker said.

“Last year we had senior experienced pitchers who really taught him things in a good way,” Kiecker said. “He’ll have to use that to control things with a young staff like we’ll have this year.”

Inexperience last season will also turn into experience in the outfield where three newbies took the field last year and all will be back this season led by Ziel and senior Lucas Fricke.

“All three are back this year and they are not just playing defense for us this year,” Kiecker said of Joel contributing on the mound, as well. “Lucas hit in the middle of the lineup for us and contributed to the offense.”

The infield is where new faces will have to step in and fill the void of three seniors who graduated with a combined nine years varsity experience. There were guys who played last season but will have to step up and take over the dugout and guide the team.

“It’s not a matter of how many guys played last year,” Kiecker said. “We lost a lot of leadership on this team and we’re going to have to see the leaders step up and see which ones will take on that role.”

Things should come together for the Phoenix, ranked second in the preseason Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Division 3 poll.

That doesn’t carry a lot of weight for Kiecker, nor does the fact that the coaches in the conference all picked them to come out on top of the standings at the end of the season.

“A lot of teams are better this year,” Kiecker said. “It’s going to be a dog fight day in and day out.”