To improve upon last year’s five-win season, the Oak Harbor High School baseball team’s offense will have to stop mirroring the Seattle Mariners’.

The Wildcats scored two or fewer runs in 14 of its 20 games last year.

Also like the Mariners, Oak Harbor often wasted strong pitching performances. Taking out the two games when it gave up 10 runs, Oak Harbor surrendered only 3.3 runs per game.

“We pitched well enough to win more games, we just didn’t hit at all,” coach Tyson VanDam said. “We have made it a big focus this year to get more physical and more aggressive at the plate. That is the key to us making a push this spring.”

Based on early results, the offense is heading in the right direction. A high-scoring scrimmage Saturday concluded the “best first week of practice we have had in five years,” VanDam said.

With a strong core of returning players, a good group of newcomers and an improved offense, VanDam said he expects his club “to make a run at the one seed.”

Returning are seniors Brent Mertins (shortstop), Danny Wolfe (pitcher/catcher) and Carl Meders (third base) and juniors Kevyn Johnson (second base), Tyler Snavely (pitcher/outfield) and Quentin Tungate (outfield).

Mertins and Wolfe were first-team and Johnson second-team all-conference in 2014.

The veterans will be complemented by a “very strong group of young players,” VanDam said.

Freshman Chris Trisler and sophomore Taylor Consford will fight for playing time as catchers, according to VanDam.

Sophomores Trent Benson and Steven Richards and juniors Preston Rankin and Avery Aguirre should provide infield depth.

Sophomore Dylan Bailey and juniors Robert Herring and Sean Erskine are in the battle for starting outfield spots.

“Our infield will be one of our best in years,” VanDam said, “and we have good depth there as well.

“We have two or three returning arms on the mound, but we will need one of the young guys to step it up and solidify the starting rotation.”

Oak Harbor will play in a jamboree at South Whidbey at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 14.

The first two games are at home. Mount Vernon visits at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 19, followed by Mariner at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 24.