The Aberdeen Smittys came up short of making the State A Legion Baseball Tournament last year and return some familiar faces this summer in hopes of changing that this time around.

With a couple of different rules for the summer Legion season compared to the just completed high school spring season, it allows for teams to roster “super seniors,” while losing out on the Junior Legion players. The Smittys will have two super seniors on this summer’s roster.

“We’re gonna have a smaller team during the Legion season. We’re not able to pull up all those Junior Legion guys, those JV guys to kind of come help us out,” said Smittys coach Nathan Gonnelly. “We are returning two super seniors … Lance Siefken and Talan Dutenhoeffer.”

With the experience from those two, a leadership role naturally comes with the territory. The Smittys will look at their two super seniors to contribute both on and off the field.

“They’re gonna have some leadership roles, obviously. I mean, they just have the most experience out of those guys who we have as players,” Gonnelly said. “Both of them catch, play a little bit of outfield, infield. Just kind of utility guys and we’re definitely going to utilize their arms too, so they’re a pretty big help to the team.”

The Smittys will also rely on a couple key players that stood out during the high school season this past spring.

“We got Grant Beyer, he had a great spring season. Jaxon Ladner, he’s got great leadership. Just a good team guy,” said Gonnelly. “Jehiel Aviles in the outfield, you know swooping every fly ball that comes his way, and I mean everybody. Even Joe Cogley, just a young guy getting in there, getting a lot of swings and just kind of performing on the mound, too.”

Another key difference between the spring and summer seasons is the amount of games played. With the high school season including about 20 games, and the summer season pushing 50 contests, the Smittys will look to be efficient every day on the field.

“Just stay efficient and have a purpose at practice. … We practice in the morning, we stay efficient and stay focused,” Gonnelly said. “Just having that focus and just knowing that hey, we got two hours today to practice and then after that, I can go out and go fishing and do whatever I need to do. And then come game time, we’re just locked in.”

What also helps with the length of the season is making the most out of road trips. The Smittys already have a few places in mind.

“And enjoying our road trips too, ‘cause they can be a little bit long. Just hitting up our favorite meal stops. We go to the Flying J all the time in Sioux Falls,” Gonnelly said. “When we go to Rapid, we’re gonna have to find a place out there that we like. Just being boys this summer.”

With advancing to the state tournament on everyone’s bucket list, the Smittys will look to cross off that goal, as well as seeing their players grow.

“Just making it to regions. Putting yourself in a good spot to succeed and make it to the state tournament and just seeing overall growth,” said Gonnelly. “We have some younger guys on this team, some guys that haven’t played Legion, yet. So just kind of feeling it out a little bit, getting them prepared for what playoff baseball looks like and then next year as well.”

The Smittys will kick off their Legion season on Wednesday with a doubleheader against Watertown at 5 and 7 p.m. at Fossum Field, before heading west to play at Rapid City Post 320.