Chris Garrison expects more from his Auburn Riverside baseball team this season.

With just three seniors – RJ Gius, Ryan Adams and Jordan Hudson – gone from last year’s roster, the Ravens have plenty of experienced returners ready to step up.

The Ravens have higher expectations, looking to improve on last season’s 7-13 campaign, which included a seventh-place finish in the South Puget Sound League North 4A race with a 5-11 record.

“We go in expecting to win every game as always,” Coach Garrison said. “And we expect to be more consistent than we were last year.”

For the Ravens, it all starts on the mound with junior Michael Rucker.

“He is a pretty dominant pitcher,” Garrison said.

Rucker led the Ravens’ pitching corps with a 2.56 earned run average in 39.2 innings of work last season. Rucker struck out 38, giving up just two home runs and walking 17 batters on his way to a 3-3 record.

This season Rucker already is off to a quick start for the 3-4 Ravens, boasting a 2-1 record with two complete games and 28 strikeouts.

Beyond Rucker, Garrison said he will rely on “pitching by committee.”

Offensively, the Ravens are led by senior Michael Sherwin, a returning all-league first-team performer who hit .484 last season with 21 RBIs, six doubles and four home runs.

Also back is junior Nick Minter, who hit .347 with 12 RBIs, and senior Taylor Maples, who hit .293 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Co-captains John Hakala and Kell Garrison, an all-SPSL North 4A honorable-mention player a year ago, helps round out the lineup.

Garrison likes his players’ competitiveness.

“Our strengths will be our ability to battle and hang in there,” he said. “We have some tough and pretty talented kids.”