May 12, 2016 5 min read

There’s nothing like a fresh start, especially if you’re the Wild Things and you’re trying to get away from a humbling recent history.

New manager Gregg Langbehn and a revamped roster will attempt to bring a fresh attitude and a return to contention to Washington, where the Frontier League team scuffled in 2015, finishing 12 games below .500 and out of the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years, resulting in the end of Bob Bozzuto’s short tenure as manager.

The lineup will look a lot different than last year – there are only eight returning players on the 24-man active roster. Five of the eight returnees signed at midseason last year and have less than a full season in Washington.

Right-hander Trevor Foss, who spent the last three years in the Los Angeles Angels’ farm system, will be the Wild Things’ opening day starter when they begin their 15th and perhaps most important Frontier League season tonight (8:05 p.m.) in Sauget, Ill., against the Gateway Grizzlies at GCS Ballpark.

Foss (6-2, 185) has won 21 games dating back to his senior season at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the last time he was given an opening day start. He pitched in 30 games last year in the hitter-friendly Class A California League and survived with his confidence and ERA (3.36) intact, posting a 4-2 record.

This spring, Foss was released instead of being assigned to Double-A. He said his age (26) worked against him.

“I wasn’t surprised because of my age. Plus, right-handed pitchers who throw in the high 80s and lows 90s are a dime a dozen. My days of development are numbered,” Foss explained. “I’m a realist, so I can look at things from the business side of baseball and understand why decisions are made.”

So Foss is in Washington, concentrating less at advancing to the next level and more on winning, which hasn’t happened enough here in the last half-dozen seasons.

“I want to win,” said Foss, who like Langbehn is a Wisconsin native. “I’m not thinking too far ahead. Everybody in this clubhouse is here because they love the game and want to play the highest level they possibly can. I would love to get picked up by an affiliated team but my reality is I want to win games. That’s why I came here.”

Optimism is easy to find in the days before the start of any baseball season, but there is an obvious attempt being made to change the attitude in the clubhouse and get it back to the point where winning is expected and not just a pleasant surprise.

“We have a good group of players who hang out together,” said shortstop Austin Wobrock, who is in Washington for a third year. “Last season, we had different cliques and weren’t a tight-knit group. Teams that are together, win together. After two weeks of spring training, I can see this team plays well together.”

Wobrock and first baseman Jimmy Yezzo return in the infield. Scott Carcaise, who hit 23 doubles and nine home runs last season for the Frontier Greys, the league’s now-defunct travel team, will add some pop to the lineup. Washington is anticipating big things from third baseman Bryan Haar, a college teammate of the Chicago Cubs’ Kris Bryant at the University of San Diego. Haar hit 14 home runs two years ago in the Minnesota Twins’ system.

Washington has only three outfielders but they have plenty of pro experience. Andrew Heck is back for his fourth season in Washington after hitting .299 last year. David Popkins was fourth in the league with 20 home runs last season but batted only .232 after arriving in Washington from Double-A. If Popkins can boost his batting average, it could mean a significant jump in the team’s wins total. Jamal Austin, who played 63 games in Double-A for Seattle two years ago, was acquired in an offseason trade. He stole 30 bases and batted .293 in the Cam-Am League last season.

Upper St. Clair native Matt Fraudin (3-2, 3.47) is back for his first full season. He was an impact starting pitcher after a successful career at Gardner-Webb University. Newcomer Conner Kendrick, a left-handed starting pitcher, is a former ninth-round pick of the New York Yankees out of Auburn University.

The Wild Things must replace closer Jonathan Kountis, the Frontier League’s all-time saves leader, but they’re expecting big things from Andrew Woeck, who won nine games in relief over two seasons at North Carolina State.

“You have to be able to pitch,” said Langbehn, who was manager of the Frontier League’s Traverse City Beach Bums for five seasons (2009-13). “It doesn’t matter how good of a hitting team you are, if you can’t pitch, then you’re not going to win.”

The schedule maker did no favors for the Wild Things. Washington plays its first six games, and 12 of the first 18, on the road.

“Have to keep your head above water early,” Langbehn said. “The saying is to win two out of three games at home and play .500 on the road. In my experiences, if you win 55 games, that should be enough to get you in playoff contention.”

Gateway has 11 players returning from a team that was 45-50 last year. … The Wild Things have won six consecutive games at GCS Ballpark. … Washington will play a three-game series at Joliet beginning Tuesday before the home opener May 20 against Lake Erie.