Brian Giallella, center, is in his 10th season as head coach of Steinert High's varsity baseball program (Craig Haley photo).

The Steinert High baseball team is on such a high level that it’s easy to assume the players would not need to spend time on bunting technique and situations, as they did Saturday during an indoor practice."

“That’s something you think, ‘OK, it’s simple,’" head coach Brian Giallella said. "But not necessarily. Do they spend a half hour or 45 minutes at a practice before doing that (on the youth level)? Probably not.”

The finer points of skills like base running and cutoff throws can fall through the cracks on the youth level, and need attention in high school. Just how the Steinert players are eating up the instruction suggests to Giallella that another big season is ahead.

“They’re very eager and hungry right now and really listening right now and trying to learn, and that’s always a good thing as a coach,” said the 37-year-old head coach, who is in his 10th season.

“The coaches enjoy that. Myself and my coaching staff look forward to really teaching the game of baseball to these players. When they’re eager to learn and when they’re willing to learn, and they want to and they ask questions about it, then you know we’re both on the same page.”

Everybody in the program sets championships as goals. Last season, the Spartans finished 24-5 and won the program’s 14th Mercer County Tournament title, but lost their final three games, including a stunner to Hillsborough in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group IV Central quarterfinals. Despite having a number of players, including seniors, who are inexperienced to the varsity level, the Spartans expect to be playing in important games come late May. “I know our players think the same way. They expect the best,” Giallella said. “They have standards that they set for themselves. They know what the teams have done before them, and they obviously want to set their mark on the program.”

Pitching should carry the Spartans. The staff includes some seniors who have excelled since Little League and Babe Ruth Baseball levels: Alex Silagyi (3-1, 2.79), Brandon Puhalski, James Pugliese and left-hander Kyle Paul (5-0, 1.25, two saves). They are backed by seniors Anthony Herrera, Tyler Frounfelker and Ryan McGovern, and junior Matt Backlund.

Steinert tripled its opponents’ combined run total last season, but the offense will be harder to come by as only three starting position players return: left fielder Marc Moceri, who batted .435 and had a .520 on-base percentage; shortstop Michael Constantini; and third baseman Rick McLaughlin. The Spartans will need some players to raise their level out of the group of seniors Andrew Immordino (catcher), Sean McGovern (outfielder) and Joe Pica (catcher); juniors Bobby Crowley (infielder), Tim Paragone (infielder), Steve Spadafino (outfielder), Douglas Warrick (outfielder) and Joe Zucchero (first baseman/pitcher); and sophomores Matt Belardo (catcher), Adam Riese (first baseman/outfielder) and Brock Podgurski (infielder).

“Every year I believe that we can compete with the best teams not only in the county but in the state. The players feel the same way,” Giallella said. “As for that to happen, that’s how we’re going to grow as a team and how we’re going to improve each part of the season.

“For the first time in a little while, I think this team is going to have to find its own identity. They’re going to have to be the ones who are going to have to make that mark and determine themselves what they want to accomplish.”

Michael Hastings and Bryan Rogers return as Giallella’s assistant coaches. The sub-varsity coaches are Joe Wysocki and Michael Costello on the junior varsity level, and Jamie Riese and Corey Radice on the freshman level.

Follow Craig Haley's Mercer County sports columns on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CraigHaley and on the Hamiltonspace.com page of Facebook.