LYNNFIELD — It’s been nearly nine months since the Pioneers baseball team’s season came to a halt after a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to No. 5 Millbury in the Division 4 state tournament final.

The No. 2 Pioneers (16-4) marched through their side of the bracket in dominant fashion, piling up runs with ease — only to have their bats go silent when they needed them most in the championship game.

Lynnfield coach John O’Brien said if the Pioneers have any hope of picking up where they left off, they’ll have to earn it.

“This team has a lot of flexibility and potential, but everyone needs to work,” O’Brien said. “You can’t just show up and live off the laurels of a team that was in a state final and won the league. That was last year, and this is a totally different team. If they think they’re going to do that, it’s going to be a long year. We’ll see if they’ve worked hard enough in the offseason. The kids are going to have to earn their keep.”

Lynnfield graduated five seniors, four of whom earned Cape Ann League All-League or All-Star honors. 

“To replace the five seniors we lost will be very difficult. We’re definitely not loaded like last year, but there is potential,” O’Brien said. “It comes down to the best guys will play, regardless of their year. Everyone will have the opportunity to show they can play.”

The good news is seven seniors with multiple years of varsity experience are back. 

The group, which is seeking a fourth straight Cape Ann League title, is led by captain Matt Tracy and co-captains Drew George and Luke DiSilvio. George, currently injured, returns for a third year as the starting catcher. DiSilvio, also a three-year starter, is expected to move from third base to shortstop and will be part of the starting pitching rotation. Tracy also returns for his third year and is in the mix at first base and pitcher. He also saw significant time at catcher last season after George was injured early.

Other returning seniors include Dylan Nguyen (second base), Harris Hadzihasanovic (pitcher/outfield), Joey Wozniak (pitcher/first base) and William Mandile (pitcher/corner outfield).

Returning juniors include Sam Bird (outfield), Oliver Morgan (second base) and James Pasquale (pitcher/outfield).

Several players who were called up late last season are also competing for positions. That group includes juniors Jared Burke (catcher/second base), James Cassidy (third base/pitcher) and Evan Gately (first base), along with sophomores Max Gromko (outfield), Phillip Ragusa (outfield) and Michael Hubbard (shortstop/second base).

“They’re all back but I don’t know where they’ll end up,” O’Brien said. “Everyone needs to put their best foot forward if they want to earn a spot on the team.

As for the league, O’Brien said he expects the usual contenders to be strong, starting with archrival North Reading, the 2025 Division 3 state champion.

“North Reading is always a tough team to beat, but everybody is going to be pretty good this year,” O’Brien said. “In the small division, Hamilton-Wenham beat us last year, and Georgetown and Ipswich will be better. Rockport has a new coach. North Reading, Triton and Newburyport will be the top teams. Overall, we have a tough schedule, so every game will be a challenge. I expect the race for the league title to be close in both divisions.”

The Pioneers battled the elements Thursday in a scrimmage against Wakefield. O’Brien said the scrimmages will serve as an opportunity for the players to show what they have and an opportunity for the coaching staff to assess the talent under game conditions.

“Altogether, we have seven, maybe eight scrimmages so everyone will have plenty of chances,” he said. “They’ll get time pitching, but they need to be ready to go when they get the opportunity. I have a great staff of coaches who will be watching whether they’re in the gym, weight room or on the field. Every guy has a chance to show what they have. It comes down to who’s going to come to the forefront and who’s going to pitch.” 

The Pioneers open the season Saturday, April 4 with a non-league game against Lynn Classical at Fraser Field. Their first league game is April 7 at Newburyport. They wrap up the regular season at the Brendan Grant Tournament May 23-24 at Belmont, taking on Burlington in game one and either Belmont or Reading in game two.