The names and faces will be familiar, but the setting will be much different when Aberdeen takes the field for its season-opening high school baseball games tonight at Fossum Field.

Instead of searching for shade and sunscreen, jackets and blankets may be the order of fare as the season kicks off with a pair of games against Rapid City with the first pitch set for 5 this evening.

A good share of guys from the American Legion Smittys team will also comprise the high school Smittys team this spring.

“We’ve got a couple of guys that played Legion for us last year that are going to be playing for us this year,” said Aberdeen coach Nathan Gonnelly, “and then also some guys that were on 16U and then Jr. Legion last year who are also going to be helping us out. We’ve got a lot of talent that we’re going to have.”

Names like Jaxon Ladner, Grant Beyer, Brayden Bowman, Ridley Waldo, and Jared Klootwyk are just some of the individuals who will be a part of the high school team.

Gonnelly said the spring league will give an opportunity for younger players to get a head start on the summer season.

“Which is good if we want to build a program up for the future,” Gonnelly said. “That’s exactly what we want and that was kind of our thought process with doing the spring league, is hey we just get to build these guys up and see better competition, so it’s going to be better for our program.”

While the season will be much shorter than the amount of games on the Legion schedule, it is an added bonus to get in more contests.

“It’s kind of a like a spring training to the Legion year,” Gonnelly said.

He said some guys have been working for months in preparation for the upcoming high school season.

“We’ve been practicing since, if you think back to our winter workouts, since November,” Gonnelly said, “so now it’s kind of coming all the way to fruition. We’re super excited to be out on the field.”

Because of the time of the season, Aberdeen has to be a bit creative with scheduling games as many players are also involved in spring sports such as track and field.

“We have a lot of guys who are in track. We work very closely with the track squad, just to kind of figure out a schedule that hey benefits them, benefits us,” Gonnelly said, “because at the end of the day we want as many opportunities for these kids to participate.”

While the rules of high school baseball and American Legion baseball are nearly identical, Gonnelly expects things to be a work in progress as players work to get back into the game.

“I’m expecting to see guys who are going to throw 70s to low 80s. I mean, it’s spring. It’s a little bit colder out, kind of new in the year as well,” Gonnelly said. “Our guys, this is going to be the first live ABs they’ve seen since last summer, so it’s going to be a feeling out process. I’m just excited to play ball. I think we have a lot of competitors on our team and it will be a lot of fun (tonight).”

In Gonnelly’s first season with the Smittys last summer, the local squad played aggressive baseball, stealing bases and looking to take an extra base whenever possible.

While he would like to continue with that philosophy, he also wants to find out the team’s strengths and weaknesses this spring.

“We have track guys, basketball guys, wrestlers, I mean you name it, we have it, so we have athletes on the field,” Gonnelly said. “Yes, in a sense we’re going to still keep that same aggression, but now we just got to figure out who’s quick and who can make that jump?”

Among today’s festivities will be tailgating at 3:30 this afternoon in the Fossum Field parking lot, free food specials and the like.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun out there,” Gonnelly said.

Gonnelly has already established a rapport with the players and said there is a comfort level heading into his second season with Aberdeen baseball.

“I know a lot of these kids from coaching football, Smittys, I teach as well. I know a lot of the faces,” Gonnelly said. “It does help a little bit. I think it helps with the team chemistry. Practices have been going great. Kids are smiling, super excited to get out there. It’s pretty comfortable. I’m really excited.”