Being an underclassman on a varsity team can be overwhelming.

Four young Tracy High varsity baseball players, Thomas Greely (sophomore), Noah Denoyer (sophomore), Brett Mansell (sophomore), and Chandlyr Metal (freshman),  have mostly gotten over the initial pressure of being called up, but still feel the need to impress their coaches and older teammates.

“I’m just trying to stand out as a player with a team that is older and more experienced than me,” Denoyer, a pitcher and first baseman, said.

All of the younger players can pitch. That’s half of head coach Vic Alkire’s eight-member staff. Denoyer is 2-1 with seven innings pitched and a 1.00 ERA.

“Denoyer is doing a great job on the mound for me,” Alkire said.

Mansell and Metal pitch and play third base.

Greely may be making the biggest impact. He leads the team with a .289 batting average, stealing five bases, driving in six runs and scoring five times as of April 1. He also has a save in 1 1/3 innings as a relief pitcher.

“Greely is doing really well,” Alkire said. “He starts at catcher, and then other times he plays second base. He is a very good athlete.”

Greely has been doing such a good job catching staff ace Anthony Nunez, Alkire said he might have Greely catch more often. Nunez (3-1, 0.84) who usually catches when he isn’t pitching, and would end up at first base.

The underclassmen are part of what has been a strong start for the Bulldogs (8-4, 3-1 San Joaquin Denoyer Athletic Association.

“They’re all performing really well,” Alkire said. “It is a nice core as young ball players and they look great for our future.”

Mansell is second on the team with 22 1/3 innings pitched, with a win, a save, and a 0.94 ERA. is 2-2 in seven appearances. Metal has a win in two appearances and often serves as the Bulldogs’ designated hitter.

For Alkire, who is in his 21^st year as head coach, having so many underclassmen is no big deal. Alkire said the underclassmen have earned their spots on the field.

Metal summed up what many of the underclassmen said about their experience so far.

“I was a little nervous in the beginning, but as we started playing more games, I got more comfortable,” Metal said. “Mainly, for me, the goal is just trying to get as much playing time as possible.”