Staff photo / Brian Yauger LaBrae’s Austin Rowe, (right), high fives Vikings teammate Dylan Swaton (22) after scoring at home plate during Friday’s win over Jackson-Milton at Eastwood Field.

Spring is the season of change, and that saying has held extra weight in Leavittsburg this year.

Both the baseball and softball programs have undergone a pretty big change. Welcoming new coaches to both programs and rosters full of youth, the Vikings are certainly showing signs of blossoming.

The LaBrae baseball program sits at 13-3 on the season, and just picked up a big, 6-4, weather-shortened victory over Jackson-Milton on Friday.

The Vikings have been helped along by a big injection of youth into the lineup. Freshmen Landon Brunstetter, Lucas Glaser and Austin Rowe are just three of LaBrae’s impact freshmen.

“Not only in hitting, but pitching,” baseball coach Ed Anthony said. “We brought in a freshman, Landon (Brunstetter), who came in there when he had two guys on and did his job. These kids are coming together. We’ve just got to keep them focused and we’ve got to keep reminding them of certain things because they are so young and I’m sure they get butterflies because they’re young. I can tell you right now as each game progresses and with each situation they get in there, (they’re) getting more comfortable.”

The Vikings boast a run differential of 138-43 so far this season. The errors made by a team with little experience still rear their heads every now and then, but with a deep pitching rotation and a batting order that continues to find its confidence as the games continue on, LaBrae has a chance of making some noise this postseason.

“We needed that. We had a couple of nice, I think two innings, with two outs and we came through,” Anthony said. “Different kids from our lineup too. We brought up a freshman Tamaryen Roberts and he went 2-for-2 today and he played big. That’s what we need. We need our hitting to keep catching up with our pitching and get a little bit better. But we do have to clean up these errors because that’s something we have to work on.”

On the softball side of things, the Vikings sit at 9-4, more than quadrupling the team’s win total from a year prior.

All that without a senior on the roster and a lineup featuring multiple freshmen.

“We’re starting four or five freshmen,” softball coach Dwayne Buck said. “We’re working hard to turn this whole program around and the girls are responding very well. I’m very proud of them.”

One of the team’s upperclassmen, Rylee McDonough, has been a huge impact player for the Vikings this season. McDonough has hit 10 home runs through 13 games, tying the single-season record.

“She’s got 10 home runs, but I bet you she’s got 10-plus intentional walks too,” Buck said after the Garfield game, in which McDonough hit her record-tying home run. “I mean she’s making a big difference. Obviously people are noticing because no one’s pitching to her. I told her, ‘they’re going to be harder to come by now, because you’ve got to be really patient.’ She’s listening and doing a really good job, not trying to force the issue.”

The young Vikings squad is set to all return next year, so LaBrae is hoping to get some valuable experience this season and make a real push in the following years, as they look to re-establish the program as a local power.

“We don’t have any seniors, so we should get everybody returning and we have a good class coming up next year. This year we’re trying to right the ship,” Buck said. “I know they had a rough year last year. My goal is to change the attitude, change how they approach the game and if we can get double-digit wins and maybe get a playoff run. That would be huge if we could get a playoff victory for this team and try to build going forward.”

Both squads have home contests against Brookfield on Monday, with a return trip across Trumbull County set for the following day. The softball team is scheduled to face Campbell on Wednesday, Crestview on Thursday, Lakeview on Friday and they close the week out with a road doubleheader against Crestwood on Saturday. Baseball is scheduled to host Hubbard on Thursday.