With the addition of seven players coming off the varsity basketball team, the Maine West baseball roster has been rounded off to its full fighting strength of 26 players. Though it may seem hard to believe what with snow still blanketing the countryside, West's baseball season is only two weeks from its first game. The Warriors will take on Evanston March 31 to initiate their first season of diamond participation.

The seven from the cage team who are now adding their talents to the baseball team are George Verber, Bob Kunkel, Mike Rowlee, Doug Halpenny, Bruce Murdock, Ron March, and Mike Cassata. These boys have now been working out with the varsity for two weeks. Verber and Kunkel join Ed Swanson in being the only three lettermen on the 1960 team. They are all returnees from the team that took Maine to their second straight state title last spring under coach Al Carstens. This year Carstens has made the move to Maine West and is the head baseball coach of the Warriors.

With only three returning lettermen, Carstens faces another reconstruction job much like the one he had last year. Led by the mound performances of Jim Humay and Rich Peterson, the Maine Demons captured their third straight conference

championship and second state title. This year's pitching staff will be led by Bob Kunkel, Bill Tookey, Dave Stenmark, Dick Smith and Jack Kern. Kunkel is the only one of the moundsmen who saw varsity action last year. Both of Maine's state titles came largely through the effort of its pitchers and once again a great deal depends on the hurlers.

With many top‑caliber candidates for each of the nine starting posts, coach Carstens will have a tough time deciding on his starting nine. One of his policies is for each player to know at least two positions. In this way the lineup can be shifted whenever any player proves himself. At least two of West's pitchers, Kunkel and Tookey, will alternate pitching assignments with outfield duty. Right now the team is 2‑3 deep in each position with the greatest strength lying in the outfield. As the team now stands, there are six pitchers, four catchers, eight infielders, and eight outfielders. Several juniors are making excellent showings in their infield posts and will help to make this an extremely fast team.

As coach Carstens emphasizes, "all positions on this ball club are open and the player who does the hustling will get the job."