The Hornet baseball team is approaching its first game of the season, which will be played at Arizona, with a roster nearly half-full of underclassmen, but this isn’t a concern for the coaching staff or players.

Head Coach John Smith said the players that are fresh out of high school are likely to have a few rough games as they transition to the collegiate style of play.

“We’re a very, very young team,” Smith said. “They haven’t played at this level yet.”

There are several talented players on the team this season, both returning and new. Smith said Jesse Darrah, a right-handed starting pitcher, and catcher Justin Lamb have immediately emerged as freshmen impact players.

“Justin Lamb is really a shining star on our staff,” Smith said.

Of Darrah, assistant coach Jim Barr said, “He’s got a pretty good arm. He could have three good years here.”

Smith said Darrah is a hard worker with a lot of potential.

“He has demonstrated through the fall season that he is capable of being a starting pitcher,” Smith said.

Darrah was recruited by Sacramento State and is here on a partial scholarship. He said he is focusing primarily on team goals rather than individual ones, though he looks forward to the opportunity of playing as a freshman.

“I’m excited to show what I can do this season,” Darrah said. “I just want to help our team.”

Darrah said he isn’t afraid to work under pressure.

“I feel it makes me work harder,” he said.

Barr already has the starting rotation in mind. The line-up is predicted to include Darrah, seniors Nick Buchta and Jose Ramirez and sophomores Chris Baek and Brandon Sandoval. The duel closers will be seniors Jeff Roth and Eric Fregosi.

“All we ask of our starters is to get us into the sixth inning,” Barr said. “It comes down to team chemistry and how you perform on the field.”

Though the team is young, there are still key upperclassmen players leading the way. Fregosi is a returning pitcher with an entirely new side-armed style of pitch, as opposed to his original overhead throw. Barr said Fregosi improved a lot over the summer and is ready to handle the role of closer.

“It’s a pretty big change,” Fregosi said. “It’s working out a lot better for me.”

Though Barr named Fregosi as a possible starter, Smith referred to him as a relief pitcher, but he noted Fregosi’s improvements.

“He is night and day from last year. His ball has a little sink-and-run to it. He’s going to be really outstanding for us,” Smith said.

Smith and Fregosi both anticipate a rocky start to the season for many of the freshmen on the team. Fregosi said they will probably be a little nervous, but shouldn’t get down on themselves, and that everyone on the team went through the same transition.

Smith said the first 20 games will be an adjustment period and the newcomers will have to get used to the speed of the game. He said he’s seen this many times in his nearly three decades of coaching and it’s always the same.

“It’s a process,” Smith said. “Timmy Wheeler is a classic example of that.”

Wheeler is a junior center fielder currently ranked 38th in this year’s collegiate draft. Smith said Wheeler was heavily recruited straight out of high school and under a lot of pressure, just like this year’s freshmen.

Another notable freshman is right-handed pitcher Brent Harrison from Galt High School. Harrison was also recruited and given a partial scholarship. He said the collegiate level is much more competitive than high school. The time commitment is much higher and the coaching is much better.

“It’s going to be a fun, interesting year,” Harrison said. “I think we’re going to prove a lot of people wrong.”

Though Harrison is a reliever, he shouldn’t worry about getting enough playing time. Barr said he intends to use all the pitchers as much as possible but not because the starters are incapable. Barr said he’ll play three to four pitchers per game because of their style and based on the strengths of every individual.

“What would make me happy is consistency,” Barr said. “You want to see the intensity.”

As a newcomer, Darrah is looking forward to playing against highly ranked teams like Fresno State, as well as putting on a good show for the fans. He said it’s nice having parents come to the games, but it’s not the same as having fellow students show support.

“I think having fans out here makes it more fun,” Darrah said.

Smith understands that students have class in the afternoon, which is primarily when the games are, but hopes that more people will come out on weekends. He said the tickets are reasonably priced and spectators will get to see a good game.

“If you’re really a baseball fan, you’re going to come watch us play,” Smith said. “I expect us to be very competitive and hard-nosed this season.”

Dawn Johnson can be reached at [email protected]