Free State’s culminated in a celebratory dogpile at Wichita’s Lawrence-Dumont Stadium after winning the Class 6A state championship.

On the other hand, LHS was a game away from making that trip to Wichita – but a 5-4 loss to Manhattan in the regional championship sent the Lions back to Lawrence instead.

It is both of those memories that LHS coach Brad Stoll drills into his 2007 team.

“We talk about two things a lot: We talk about a big dogpile in May – we want to have a big one in Wichita,” Stoll said. “And the other thing we talk about too is the heartbreak in Manhattan. We played a really good team in Manhattan, and we had one inning that killed us out there, and I think about that every day.

FREE STATE HIGH SENIOR CATCHER ANDY PETZ and Lawrence High senior pitcher Daniel Green will provide experience and leadership for the two city baseball squads this spring.

“I sent them all, several

times, a photo of the Free State dogpile. I was happy for that team, I was happy for (FSHS) coach (Mike) Hill, he’s one of my best friends, but I want these guys to have it.”

For Hill and his Free State squad, it’s going to take quite the team effort if the Firebirds are going to return to Wichita after having lost a majority of their pitching staff and a number of big producers on offense.

“I think we’re unproven (on the mound) and certainly relative to last year we don’t have anybody – we return two innings of pitching, and that was a from a game we won 37-5, so even those two innings are not under the conditions you anticipate pitching under in the Sunflower League,” Hill said. “So we’ve got work to do there – there’s no question about it. We’re going to be young and what we’ve got to learn to do is win with location. We’re not at the stage yet where we’re going to win with stuff, so we’ve got to be precise with where we’re throwing the ball and have got to be able to mix it up well enough to keep people off balance.”

Fortunately for Hill, he still has his able catcher returning to the roster. Andy Petz, who saw all the action behind the plate in the Firebirds’ state run, will play a key role in the maturation process of the completely new pitching staff.

“Andy is certainly one of the – in my mind – one of the premiere catchers in the state of Kansas and he’s started for us three years now, which is a very strong testament to his abilities and his work ethic,” Hill said. “And I certainly expect him to be one of the elite players around and a guy that we’re going to have to rally around – in part, because of his abilities and part because of his experience.”

The Firebirds will have a new name at every position around the diamond, though three of them – Jordan Dreiling at second base, Hunter Scheib at shortstop and Ben Wilson at first base – were members of the state team a year ago. John Wilson will take over at third.

“I think there is certainly, at every position, a college-caliber player, and the newness of their positions will take some time,” Hill said.

Lawrence High’s starting catcher also returns for his senior year, but Stoll said Patrick Johnson is getting a bit of a competition from junior Chase Muder for the starting spot. But regardless of who is managing the plate, Stoll is a lot more clear on his pitching staff than Hill seems to be as the season begins.

“That’s the one area, all winter long, we’ve thought we’d have the best chance to be successful because we have pretty much everybody back,” Stoll said. “Daniel Green, Drew Hulse and Joe Kornbrust all pitched significant varsity (innings) and then we expect Joe Miller and Preston Scheibler to also give us some good (innings) – and Dorian Green, the sophomore, as well.

“Jordan Guntert was our closer last year as a junior and he’s back as well. We think we’re deeper than we’ve been there in the past, it’s just hopefully, it’s quality as well.”

Free State begins its title defense today in a home game against Kansas City Washington, while LHS heads down to Tulsa, Okla., this weekend for three games against Oklahoma high school squads.