The sound of metal bats striking baseballs again reverberated through Sewell-Thomas Stadium as the Crimson Tide baseball team continued fall training for the 2012 season.

Last year’s team closed out the season with a 35-28 record and an appearance in the NCAA regional tournament. Although content with the team’s finish in the 2011 season, head coach Mitch Gaspard is hopeful about this team’s ability to make it further into the postseason this year. Gaspard said he is pleased with the results he and his staff have seen after the first few scrimmages and weeks of practice.

The Tide has five returning starters this year. Gaspard said the more experienced players are helping the freshmen adjust to practice at the college level. Overall, Gaspard said he believes the mix of returners and new players will be beneficial to the team.

“It feels like this is a much more balanced team,” Gaspard said

Senior outfielder Taylor Dugas said he believes in the abilities of the freshmen to step up and do great things for the Tide in the upcoming season. The addition of these talented new players has created a team Dugas said he believes is improved from last year’s.

Despite being a talented group of athletes, the freshmen have yet to get a taste of Alabama baseball. Gaspard said one of his main focuses for the first few weeks of practice is to help the freshmen recruits get the feel for the way practice goes.

“They’ve shown great work ethic and daily growth,” Gaspard said. “The guys are starting to understand practice pace and energy.”

Gaspard is also focused on building up a new pitching staff after losing the bulk of the team’s pitchers at the end of last season. The team is also working on filling holes seen in last year’s offense.

Dugas said the team did not have a great hitting game last year, but he believes the practice they are doing now will improve their batting ability before next season. He said the team is focused on improving the small aspects of the game.

“Attention to detail in this game is really important,” Dugas said .

While Gaspard stressed that the team’s success will be determined by the way the players come together, both he and Dugas are excited about this year’s new team.

“I think everyone out here is excited,” Dugas said. “There’s good energy every day.”