Following a difficult 2014-15 season, this year’s baseball team has already improved on last season’s win total with a 4-4 record.

“Everybody on our squad has really shown great improvement over the past year,” coach David Kinberg said. “[Senior] A.J. [Barrera-Herron] is having an outstanding season so far, and has really started to bust out for his senior year. [Juniors] Griffen Melnick and Tyler Glassman have been playing outstanding defense … So I think all the way around we’re looking really good.”

Oak Park has experienced a great deal of roster turnover over the past year, evidenced by the fact that the team’s opening day lineup featured only two seniors.

“There are certainly a lot of new faces [this year],” senior and shortstop Trent Hall said. “Last season obviously didn’t go as we would’ve liked it to have gone, but I think that this group is capable of producing a really strong season.”

Hall and senior Kobi Weisberg will begin the transition from basketball to baseball.

“Trent and Kobi will be starting for the first time [against Grace Brethren],” Kinberg said. “Unfortunately, they missed the first part of the season, so I’m really excited to see what they’re capable of doing.”

With a new wave of talent coming up to the varsity team this year, along with the leadership of the senior class, expectations for the team are high.

“I think we’re bound to have a great season,” Weisberg said. “If we work hard and stay fundamentally sound, we have the talent to compete with anyone.”