HAYWARD – Most coaches are quick to put a lot a weight into any rankings, especially the ones that come out in the preseason.

Hayward baseball coach Mark Berquist is no different as the Hurricanes, ranked seventh in the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Division 2 preseason poll, head into another tough season in the Heart O’North Conference.

“This year’s team has the potential to be pretty decent,” Berquist said. “Things have to come together for us in all three phases of the game. We’re very beatable if we’re not playing well.”

With the pieces the Hurricanes have in place after a 19-4 season and a regional title, that shouldn’t happen often.

One of the biggest parts to that puzzle is senior catcher Josh Meade who will continue to play baseball next year at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

The presence Meade has displayed behind the plate is almost as much of a reason he was recruited to the NCAA Division I school as it was his powerful left-handed bat.

“He’s got a really good handle on the game,” Berquist said. “When he talks, everyone else listens. He’s a good leader for us on the field.”

Meade will be very familiar with the guys he will be catching as the Hurricanes return every pitcher that toed the rubber a year ago. It is a group led by the trio of juniors Tom Danczyk, Cory Peterson and senior Cody Gerich.

“All three are very strong for us and can step up and dominate a game,” Berquist said.

The defense around the infield has just the opposite story, as all four positions will be new this season.

It could be a youthful crew going around the horn, but coming from a 15-3 junior varsity squad, they’ll have to hit the ground running.

“We replace the guys we lost with guys that we are expecting quite a bit out of,” Berquist said. “These kids are pretty hard workers. I haven’t had a team that are as hard of workers like this.

“We’re a little bit of a different team than we’ve had in the past. After getting knocked out by Barron last year and losing to them for the third time in a season in sectionals, the guys are looking to take the next step.”

In a conference that includes the likes of Barron that has won at least a share of the conference the last four years and Ladysmith, which is ranked sixth in the WBCA Division 3 preseason poll, it’s going to take that grit to get there.

“In eight days we play four teams that are all ranked, so we’ll find out in a hurry where we stand,” Berquist said of the Hurricanes’ start to the season.