MILWAUKEE — Bryant & Stratton’s baseball team finished 22-26-1 last season, but it’s preparing for a new season.

“Last year was a season of peaks and valleys,” head coach Alex Tomter said. “We were 7-3 entering the regional season and felt like we could compete with anybody. We beat four teams that made it to the Juco World Series, including the eventual national champion. We learned how good we can be, but also how important it is to bring energy every single day.”

While there’s a new opportunity to succeed, there will also be new challenges. One challenge awaiting this team will be inexperience. 

“We will start a number of freshmen players,” Tomter said. “On the mound, we will also need freshmen to step up and play big for us. All of these young guys will get challenged immediately as nine of our first 13 games are against ranked opponents.”

Tomter also expects some players who have not seen playing time to excel. One of those players is Luis Serrano.

“[He’s] my pick,” Tomter said. “He lost all of last year to a hand injury. He was slated for big-time action last year until the injury, and this winter, he has been our best hitter. He’ll lead off and play second and short for us. He’s a natural winner and plays the game the right way.”

The Bobcats still carried a team slash line of .278/.390/.398 and hit 25 home runs despite Serrano’s absence. They also finished .500 on the road, with Luke Wroblewski leading the team with a .353 batting average and 48 hits before heading to Northwestern College.

Bryant & Stratton will also continue to play home games at Wisconsin Brewing Company Park.

“We played at WBC last year as well,” Tomter said. “It’s an amazing place to play. The Dockhounds treat us like family and we love calling it home.”

It’s an exciting time for the Bobcats, and everyone associated with the team is ready to start competing.

“Team chemistry is at an all-time high heading into opening day,” Tomter said. “The guys will be challenged and we will see how that chemistry responds.”

The Bobcats’ season officially starts at the RussMatt Tournament on Feb. 25 against Frederick Community College.