PRINCETON - The Princeton Tigers are starting the 2024 baseball season with one strike before they even step up to the plate.

Jimmy Starkey, their lone senior, has been lost for the season with a knee injury sustained in the first basketball game this winter.

Starkey had hoped to be able to play toward the end of the baseball season, but learned last week he will not be cleared, Tiger coach Wick Warren said.

As a result, the Tigers will take the diamond this spring with a lineup of nine juniors, three sophomores and one freshman.

That doesn’t mean there is no varsity experience.

Three juniors - Noah LaPorte (OF), Ace Christiansen (C) and Jordan Reinhardt (IF/P) - have been regulars with the varsity since their freshman year, now entering their third year with the big club.

Classmates Will Lott (IF/P), Luke Smith (1B/P) and Nolan Kloepping (IF/C) also saw time with the big club last year as did sophomore Tyler Forristall (P).

Warren, who starts his eighth season as Princeton’s head coach, said the Tigers, who went 15-7 last year (8-4 in the TRAC East), will be a work in progress.

“We’re going to be young, but we’re going to be a lot better at the end of the year than we are at the start,” he said. “Our pitching is going to be very young, but we have some good live arms and hopefully we’ll be able to challenge some folks.”

“Having a young team will have its up and down, but I think there’s going to be more positives that come out of it than negatives.”

—  Noah LaPorte, Princeton junior

LaPorte said the Tigers are up for the challenge.

“I think everyone on the varsity is very capable of many things and they may need a little guidance, but I’m sure we will be fine,” he said. “Having a young team will have its ups and downs, but I think there’s going to be more positives that come out of it than negatives.”

LaPorte led the Tigers last year at the plate with a .400 average, three homers, three doubles and 16 RBIs. Christiansen hit .342 with four doubles and 16 RBIs, Lott hit .351 with eight RBIs and three doubles and Reinhardt had eight RBIs while batting .292.

“If those guys come close to what they did last year, we’ll put the bat on the ball and if it falls in, that’s great,” Warren said.

The pitching staff took a big hit with the loss of ace Danny Cihocki (5-3, 1.60 ERA) and Ryan Brucker (4-3, 1.78), now at Northern Illinois University and Southeastern Illinois College, respectively, who combined for 83.1 innings with a 9-6 record and a 1.70 ERA.

Forristall, a sophomore outhpaw, shined as a freshman when called up to the varsity, sporting a 5-0 record with a 1.24 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings. The only other hurler bringing back significant varsity innings is Reinhardt (11 IP, 1-0. 5.73) while LaPorte and Lott combined for only 4 2/3 innings.

Also counted on for mound duties will be junior Jace Stuckey (1B) and freshman Braden Shaw (OF).

“Tyler will be our lead pitcher. He had a good year last year, but he’s got to step up in conference games this year and I think he will,” Warren said. “He’s got a good attitude and has been working hard.”

Rounding out the roster are junior Zeke Klingenberg (OF) and sophomores Grady Cox (IF) and Stihl Brokaw (OF/IF), who will float between the varsity and F/S squads.

LaPorte, who has received all-state honors in football and basketball this year, is looking forward to getting back in the swing for baseball.

“I’m definitely excited to get back into baseball mode. Feels good to be able to switch sports and not play the same thing year around,” he said.

The Tigers will open the season at 11 a.m. Saturday at Dixon. Warren said the Tigers are right on schedule, utilizing their new “Tiger Pen” indoor training facility at Prather Field.

“Everything’s going well. Kids are working hard. We’re fortunate to have this building to avoid any weather complications,” he said. “We’ve got three weeks before we start conference so we’ll see how we’re doing then.”