REDFIELD – They have all the pieces and they are on a mission this spring.

The Redfield Muskrats high school baseball team has depth, experience, pitching and big-game experience. Now, they are in search of a state championship.

Redfield has won its first six games to start the season, but as coach Tommy Gregg points out, games won in April don’t necessarily translate into a state title in May.

“We’re happy with it, but we have higher goals that we want to achieve,” Gregg said of his team’s start to the spring season. “We also know that our region is very good and we’re going to have to play well to get where we want to.”

Where the Muskrats want to get to is the state championship.

The bulk of this year’s team is the same as last year’s squad that lost in the opening round of the state high school tournament, finished runner-up in the senior American Legion tourney, and won the junior Legion title.

“We want to be playing that last day. We want to win it,” Gregg said of the team’s goal this spring. “I know there are some very good teams out there, but we feel like maybe we’ve got some unfinished business.”

The roster is loaded with skilled players at every position and has so much depth that last year’s Junior Legion Most Valuable Player Nolan Gall hits in the ninth spot in the batting order.

“We just have so much depth. It doesn’t have to be the same guy every day,” Gregg said. “Our three hitter can have an off day or not a great day and we can still win.”

The squad is led by four seniors, the Osborn triplets: Camden, Owen and Peyton, along with Easton Millar. The roster is bolstered by players from Northwestern (pitching standout Fehi Faonelua, Ashton Remily and Gage Ratigan) and Tulare (starting third baseman Erik Salmen), along with regular starters Keaton Rohlfs and Seth Siebrecht.

In short, the Muskrats have multiple players who can do damage in a variety of ways.

“This team is built to play all phases of the game. They’ll go by whatever they need to do that day,” Gregg said. “I think that’s what makes us good.”

The Muskrats have received solid pitching so far to key their fast start to the season with Peyton Osborn and Faonelua leading the way on the mound.

While the hitting is a bit behind where Gregg anticipated, he said the bats are coming to life.

“We definitely have pitched it well so far. Our hitting is starting to come,” Gregg said. “I expected it to be really good right away. It’s still not really good, but the flashes are coming.”

Add it all together and it’s easy to see why Redfield is among the top high school squads in the state this spring (rated second in the most recent Class B poll). Gregg said that has led to a bit of a different feeling surrounding the team this year.

“We’ve been always kind of the hunters and this year we’re being the hunted a little bit,” Gregg said, “so it’s a little bit of role reversal.”

Muskrats may be a fitting mascot for the squad. The players will not necessarily strike fear into foes by their physical presence, but they are efficient and keep battling each time they step on the diamond.

“We don’t have guys that are 6-4, 225,” Gregg said. “We just have normal looking kids that work hard, and go out and play the game the right way.”

Look for Redfield to continue using those traits the rest of the season with the ultimate goal of winning a state championship.

While there is still plenty of work to be done, expect the Muskrats to be in the thick of things come tournament time later next month.

“We have a long road to hoe,” Gregg said, “but we’re definitely going to give it our best.”