New faces always freshen the perspective, and so it was Monday at Alvamar as orange shirts dotted the city public golf course.

On the occasion of Baker University’s annual football fund-raiser, first-year coach Mike Grossner and his staff mixed, mingled and mangled a golf ball or two as they schmoozed the program’s deep-pocketed patrons.

“Transition is always a tough time,” BU athletic director Dan Harris said, “but I have to say Mike Grossner has made me more excited about Baker football than I’ve been in a long time.”

Throughout the 1980s and early ’90s, the Wildcats were a perennial national contender, a team that always went deep into the NAIA playoffs, once even reaching the championship game. Then coach Charlie Richard died of a heart attack, and the glory days faded like an orange jersey in the shimmering sun.

Three straight losing seasons ended the tenure of coach John Frangoulis. Now, the post belongs to Grossner, a 38-year-old Arizona native who once played quarterback for Bethany College in Lindsborg and later in the NFL Europe league.

On the job for five months, Grossner has evaluated the personnel and has determined he is not facing a marathon. Still, it’s likely to be more of a steeplechase than a sprint, although that’s not the race he hopes to face.

“I expect we’ll make a quick impact,” Grossner said. “They were 4-6 last year and lost some close games. But on paper we are in a rebuilding situation.”

For a while, Grossner, his staff and the Wildcats were in a grieving situation. In mid-April, freshman wide receiver Shawn Trager was killed in a car-truck accident, a tragedy that

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prompted Grossner to call off the spring game.

“It was a tough situation, but I think it brought our team closer together,” Grossner said.

Team unity is one thing. Team leadership is another, and it’s no secret Frangoulis’ demise was attributable in large part to sub-standard quarterbacking.

Some say quarterbacks receive too much credit and too much blame. Grossner, a former quarterback, does not subscribe to that theory, stating unequivocally, “We’ll go as far as our quarterback takes us.”

Of the two quarterbacks who saw the most time for the Wildcats last season, one (Martin Updike) graduated and the other (Blake Pearson) was moved to strong safety in the spring.

Grossner has recruited three quarterbacks. Will one of them start? Does Baldwin host the Maple Leaf Festival every October?

Junior Brian Sheppard has the most experience, freshman Kendall Bradley has the most potential and frosh Tyler Lane has area ties. Lane, who played at Gardner-Edgerton High, lacks size at 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, whereas Bailey, a suburban Springfield, Mo., product, stands 6-5 and weighs about 220 pounds.

Grossner watched Bailey perform in an all-star game not too long ago.

“They had him playing quarterback in the Wishbone,” Grossner said, “and I thought he was the best player on the field. That got me excited.”

Grossner also was excited two weeks ago when Sheppard, who measures 5-11, 172, confirmed he planned to transfer from Southeastern Louisiana, where he was third-string quarterback as a sophomore last season.

Sheppard comes with a pedigree. His father, Mike, is quarterbacks coach of the New Orleans Saints. Two decades ago, incidentally, the elder Sheppard spent a season on Mike Gottfried’s Kansas University football staff.

On the morning line, the first quarterback of the new Baker era will be either Sheppard or Bailey, but who knows? One thing is sure: The selection process will be rapid.

“It’s going to shake out in a hurry,” Grossner said.

Whether Baker will shake out of the football doldrums remains to be seen, but this is one June when euphoria is busting out all over in Baldwin.