With snow hitting the Cincinnati area at a record rate, the final week of optional practices were forced to be canceled. However, February 23rd brought in new faces as the first official day of tryouts and practices began. Among the new faces were Joey Gerbus, Hayden Parker, Jairon Perkins, and Victor Martin. All four newcomers impressed the coaching staff in many different ways and will contribute at the varsity and JV levels. However, those four were not the only newcomers to the program as there were many new faces that joined the Wildcats during the tryouts. The week of tryouts molded the varsity and the JV rosters. Some of the familiar faces and the new ones formed the positional breakdowns. Let's take a look at the varsity positional breakdown:

Pitching Staff

Depth is not a concern for the Wildcats on the mound as they have multiple players to rely on to toe the rubber. However, experience of their top arms will be a concern as the Wildcats will need a few underclassmen to assume key roles on the mound. Sophomores Cameron Bartsch, Joey Gerbus, and Austin Cahill will have to be major contributors on the mound for the Wildcats to be successful. Bartsch will be the team's opening day starter with the other spots in the rotation still to be determined. Among the candidates for starting roles will be seniors Luke Steimle and Marcus Frey (both of whom are currently in the playoffs with the Wildcats basketball program), the aforementioned sophomores Gerbus and Cahill, and 6'4 freshman Hayden Parker (younger brother of Grant). The bullpen will consist of brothers Michael and Ryan Whitt, Graham Bartsch (older brother of Cameron), and Jordan Girdler. Girdler will likely assume the closer role with the Whitt brothers paving the way for him in the middle innings. The lack of experience brings some concern but the general youth of the pitching staff does show an extremely bright future for the Wildcats

Catcher

Sam Brumett has been a mainstay as the Wildcat backstop. His backup will be freshman BJ Ward, who showed that he's capable of taking the reigns when Brumett moves on to college next year. Brumett will have to provide some power and a consistent bat to go along with his solid defense.

First Base

The Wildcats will have a couple of players they can rely on at first base. Senior Michael Whitt will likely be the opening day starter as he returns to a position he became very comfortable with last year. However, Whitt's versatility could be used in multiple spots on the field. That will open up the first base spot to power hitting junior Grant Parker. Parker will be the team's DH to start the season as they look for him to provide some much needed power. 

Second Base  

Cahill will man 2nd base after spending the 2014 season at the hot corner. The main question that had been answered during tryout week was finding the player that would play 2nd base while Cahill pitched. Sophomore Joey Gerbus immediately proved to be the best candidate with his baseball knowledge and instincts as he impressed coaches with his all around ability during tryout week. The combination of Cahill and Gerbus solidifies the 2nd base position for the 2015 season. Michael Whitt's versatility can also be an asset as he proved to be servicable at 2nd base.

Third Base

When senior Luke Steimle returns from the basketball team, he will be counted on to hold down the hot corner. Steimle's overall intelligence, experience, and athleticism will be crucial to assume that role. Classmate Michael Whitt and sophomore Joey Gerbus will provide depth and back up Steimle when he pitches. 

Shortstop

Adam Schwegman ran away with the shortstop position very early during the optional workouts and has never looked back. He will team up with Cahill to form a middle infield that will be solidified for the next three years. Joey Gerbus will likely back up Schwegman. The Wildcats will count on Schwegman to be the leader of an infield that seems to be one of the strengths of the team.

Outfield

Depth in the outfield doesn't seem to be an issue as the Wildcats have plenty of outfielders in the program. With Byron Famble locking up centerfield and Jordan Girdler in right, the left field position remains open. Ryan Whitt has the experience with a full season of varsity baseball under his belt. However, Bryce Butler and Marcus Frey will also have opportunities to assume the every day role in left. Butler and Frey are both still with the basketball team but all reports have been that they will be tremendous assets to an already quality team. Senior Julian Sorrells will provide depth as well as being a key baserunning threat. The Wildcats will count on him to be a base stealer, putting pressure on opposing defenses late in games.

Overall

The Wildcats' inexperience at the varsity level brings some concern to a team searching for a 2015 CHL championship. However, this year's group possesses great team speed and a bright future that could pose some problems for the opposition. With a solid middle of Brumett, Schwegman, Cahill, and Famble, the Wildcats will definitely have a strong base. Along with the stability of Michael Whitt and Luke Steimle, the Wildcats will need others to step up. Junior Jordan Girdler will need to take the next step of becoming an offensive threat while Cameron Bartsch will have to take control of being the ace of the staff. If all these pieces come into place with maybe a few more surprises, the Wildcats may find themselves in the thick of a championship race at the end of the season.