For a number of years, opposing coaches could expect familiar faces at the helm of the Geneva and Batavia baseball programs.

But with Matt Hahn at Geneva and Matt Holm at Batavia both calling it a career after long tenures as head coaches, it opened the door for new faces, both of whom have seen firsthand the success and tradition those two longtime coaches built.

Five-year assistant coach and Batavia graduate Alex Beckmann took over at Batavia, and former sophomore coach Brad Wendell is at the Geneva helm. Both said there’s a fine line between wanting to build their own identity as a head coach while still keeping to the path that their predecessors blazed.

“Coach Holm built this program from the ground up,” Beckmann said. “This program has come a long way and he had everything to do with that. I really just want to keep things going the way they are, while just maybe putting a new spin or two on a couple things. It’s more so just adding to what he started.”

Wendell concurred with Beckmann’s assessment.

“When you see the success the Geneva program has had, it’s obvious why I’d want to keep a lot of the same things,” Wendell said. “There had always been a level of expectations for our kids and Matt [Hahn] made it easy for me to step in.”

Some of the more difficult positions to fill on a high school roster are the spots in the starting rotation. For Beckmann, there was no looking past the team’s leader, senior Glenn Albanese.

The Louisville-bound right-hander is part of a group that Beckmann has seen mature throughout his time under Holm. Now Beckmann knows it is his time to take the program to new levels of success.

“Having guys like that have made this transition super smooth,” Beckmann said. “I’ve known Glenn and a lot of these guys for years. ... The guys continue to have a business as usual attitude coming to practice ... and that hasn’t changed with me as coach.”

Wendell also spoke of how receptive his players have been in aiding his transition to becoming a varsity head coach.

With returners Jeremy Davis, Noah Davison and Jack Olson, along with catcher Josh Rose, having played for Wendell in Geneva’s program, it’s allowed the coach to get a grip on what his players can do on the field.

“You obviously find out more day by day when they face a different level of competition, but it’s a lot better than coming in cold” Wendell said. “You have an idea of their strengths and weaknesses.”

Neither Beckmann nor Wendell expect overnight success after taking over for prominent coaches. Wendell summed things up with a simple message that he’s taken as a motto for his Vikings.

“It’s about a process for us. We’re not going to be perfect and win every single game, but how do we respond and get better from adversity?” Wendell said. “I think that’s why we love to play baseball. There’s highs and lows throughout a long season, but it’s how you bounce back from struggles that form the identity of your team.”