There may not be very many members of the Princeton baseball team attending the junior-senior prom this spring.

The majority of the team won’t be old enough.

There are only six upperclassmen - four seniors and two juniors - with a cast of underclassmen filling in the pieces in a game-by-game situation.

“We’ve got an interesting mix this year. Just got six upperclassmen. That’s incredibly rare,” Princeton coach Wick Warren said. “We often have low numbers, but not that low. We may have low numbers in one class, but not two back to back.”

“We’ve got an interesting mix this year. Just got six upperclassmen. That’s incredibly rare.”

—  Wick Warren

Despite the low numbers at the upper level, the Tigers have six returning lettermen from last year’s 10-7 team, which took second in the Three Rivers Conference East (8-4), to form the nucleus of the team this spring - seniors Ryan Brucker (SS/P), Augie Christiansen (OF/P) and Danny Cihocki (P/3B) and sophomores Ace Christiansen (C), Noah LaPorte (CF/P) and Jordan Reinhardt (P/INF).

Stepping up from last year’s F/S team are juniors Jimmy Starkey (1B/OF/P) and Landen Koning (P/IF) and sophomore Nolan Kloepping (2B).

“We got the three kids who played as freshmen last year and if they step their game up, we’re going to be better with that,” Warren said. “If Noah brings to baseball what he did to football and basketball, he’s going to be fun to watch. And I expect him to do that or hope he does.”

Cihocki, the senior ace committed to Lake Land College in Mattoon, said he’s pretty excited to get back on the mound and see how far the Tigers can go this year.

“Should be a fun time. Hopefully, we’ll win some games, go pretty far,” Cihocki said. “Still working out all the kinks and all that from last year, but it will be all right.”

Brucker, who has signed to play for Southeast Illinois Junior College in Harrisburg, batted .383 and will be the anchor of the Tigers’ infield at shortstop.

Augie Christiansen batted .370 in his return to the diamond last season with Reinhardt at .312 and Ace Christiansen at .306.

Warren believes that Cihocki, who has a career 8-1 record with a 1.92 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 55 innings, is the best pitcher in the area. The senior right-hander went 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA last year

“I expect him to have a real solid senior year,” Warren said.

Brucker and sophomores Reinhardt and LaPorte will be called on to contribute significant quality innings with Augie Christiansen, Koning and freshman Tyler Forristall expected to make important contributions as the season progresses.

Senior Brady Byers returns to the diamond after a couple of years off and will play outfield. Byers’ lack of recent experience is not an issue for Warren.

“Augie hadn’t played either and hit .370 last year,” he said. “(Augie) was a pleasant surprise and I expect Brady to jump right in. He’s an athlete and can play.”

The Tigers will routinely line up with Starkey at first, Reinhardt at second, Brucker at short and Cihocki at third. Kloepping, who caught for the F/S last year, will step in at second, his more natural position, when Reinhardt shifts to third when Cihocki pitches.

The outfield will see Byers in left, LaPorte in center and Augie Christiansen in right with Forristall and Starkey seeing some time in the outfield.

“Right now, we’re jostling the idea of who we can bring up game to game to fill in for need to pitch or support for other things,” Warren said. “It’s a good group as all of Princeton’s teams have been this year in football, basketball and wrestling. Lot of the same kids. Looking forward to a good year.”

The Tigers are scheduled to open the season Thursday at Rock Falls.