Among all the questions surrounding the St. Aloysius Flashes this season, one stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Who are these guys?

Eight seniors who formed the core of the last two Class 1A championship teams are gone. So is one of the best hitters, Reed Evans, who transferred to Hillcrest Christian. The best pitching prospect, Josh Eargle, tore his ACL during football season and is out until at least late March. Even the coach of those two state champions, Clint Wilkerson, left to pursue other opportunities.

That leaves a 22-year-old first-time coach and a squad largely resembling last year’s junior varsity to carry on the tradition.

“It feels weird not having Stephen Evans and Pierson Waring and Ryno Martin-Nez around. It’s definitely different. But we’re going to make it happen,” junior first baseman Neal Ricks said. “I’m sure we’re getting overlooked, but every team’s goal is to win a state championship and we’re not different than anybody else. We’re going to work hard and hopefully be back at Trustmark.”

Although optimistic, the Flashes are well aware they face an uphill climb.

Among the returning players, only outfielder Judson Gatling was a starter for all of 2010. Eargle and freshman infielder Matthew Foley — who is nursing a shoulder injury — saw significant playing time, but returned to the bench when injured starters got healthy late in the year.

Other than those three, the rest of St. Al’s roster had a combined total of 15 varsity plate appearances last season. Gatling, the only player besides Eargle with varsity pitching experience, allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning in his only appearance in 2010.

“I have very high expectations. Even though we’re as young as we are, I expect a playoff run,” St. Al coach Jacan Warren said. “There’s going to be teams we can’t handle, but I expect us to win the games we should win.”

The Flashes’ inexperience extends from the roster to the coaching staff. Warren was a student assistant at Mississippi College until early February, when Chris Wright resigned suddenly because of a family emergency.

It’s the first head coaching job for Warren, who will have a tough act to follow. Wilkerson won 125 games and the two state titles in six seasons at St. Al. Warren openly embraced the challenge.

“I’ve never been much on the whole rebuilding thing. My old high school coach always made guys believe they could win. That’s why my expectations are so high,” Warren said. “I look at it as continuing the tradition that’s been established here.”

Although Warren is hesitant to call his task a rebuilding project, there’s little doubt the best days for this group of Flashes lay ahead.

Among St. Al’s top prospects are Foley, shortstop Carlisle Koestler and catchers Rhett Hasty and George Tzotzolas — all freshmen — and sophomore outfielder Andrew Collins. The only seniors on the team are Gatling and first baseman Matt Wooten, who hasn’t played baseball since he was an eighth-grader.

With so many young players, Warren believes the future is bright for the Flashes — and so is the present.

“A lot of people may think St. Al is going to be down, but I don’t think we will be,” he said. “St. Al will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future, if not this year.”