McKenzie School’s baseball team is a year older. Head coach Tony Norris is hoping that translates into wins.

A season ago, a youthful Tiger squad notched just two wins. While the 2012 team features just two seniors, the underclassmen gained what could prove to be valuable experience last season.

“We were pretty young last year,” Norris said. “This year, I’d say we’re kind of middle of the road.

“We still have a lot of underclassmen, but they’ve been in games because we were so young last year.”

The Tigers feature their most depth on the mound.

The staff, which features a senior, two juniors and a sophomore, is expected to be McKenzie’s strength.

“We’ve got some decent arms,” Norris said. “These guys have played and know how to play the game. I feel like we have a good staff.”

Senior Sir Wallace Presley, junior Ben Presley and brothers Dustin and Roscoe Moorhead will toss the majority of the innings for the Tigers, and according to Norris, they will need to limit the number of runs they surrender due to a rule change regarding bats. Beginning this season, all non-wood bats must meet the Batted Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard in order to comply with the rule change instituted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

“The change in bats is going to make a difference for everyone,” Norris said.

“We’re going to have to play small ball, and runs are going to be tougher to come by. That means we really have to focus on defense and pitching because our offense, and everyone else’s offense, will be a little slower than it has been in the past.”

McKenzie will open its season Tuesday when it plays host to Highland Home High School. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.