Despite returning six players who started in last season's area playoff series against L.D. Bell, there were still questions surrounding Plano Senior baseball entering 2013.

Like any team, the Wildcats had a month's worth of tournaments and non-district outings to solve any lingering woes hanging over the team and, just when the games are starting to matter, things are falling into place.

"We've really been playing a lot better as of late," said Rick Robertson, Plano head coach. "In the [Frisco Tournament of Champions], we got our team together and how we want to do things. The way we've started compared to how we are now is a lot different."

No unit has been more of a surprise for Robertson than his pitching staff, which required plenty of concern at the start of the year after graduating Hunter Raley and Connor Reed.

One month into the season, that tune has changed.

"There was a lot of inexperience coming in and we weren't sure how we'd use them," Robertson said. "I was hoping by the end of the season that would be a strength, but it's already that way at the start of district."

Pitching duties have been split among five players, with senior Ryan Thomas drawing the start in Tuesday's District 10-5A opener against McKinney (a 5-1 victory).

"He had never pitched for us before," Robertson said. "We worked with him in the fall and he's really worked hard. He threw five strong innings for us the other night in the district opener."

Senior Brad Hoeler, who holds an experience edge over his counterparts, handled relief work for Thomas on Tuesday while juniors Kenneth Tabor, Jake Fraze and sophomore Mitchell Hansen have also drawn reps on the mound.

With six returners back in the field, all the familiar faces are intact -- albeit with several in different positions.

Thomas holds down first base. When on the mound, that duty falls on Hansen. Junior Ryan Robertson, last season's 8-5A Newcomer of the Year, has shifted from second to shortstop while junior Connor Brady plays second and Hoeler mans third. In the outfield, when not playing first or pitching, Hansen occupies left field. Sophomore Cody Farhat has shifted from right to center and Tabor -- originally just a pitcher -- has not only garnered attention in right field but has become one of the team's more productive bats.

Junior speedster J.D. Kaufman has also gotten playing time, while senior Michael Crawford returns as catcher.

"Illness was going through our team early on," Robertson said. "The flu hit early and then something else hit late at a tournament, which made it hard to get us all together at once. Through all of that, we were able to play a lot of different people to see lots of different things and that's been advantageous for us."

Robertson has been pleased with Plano's defense and baserunning, while it's taken time for the bats to match pace.

That looked to be the case Tuesday against McKinney, but with a two-run single by Kaufman, Plano evaporated a 1-0 deficit in the sixth and jumpstarted a five-run surge to turn away the Lions, 5-1.

"That was a tough one," Robertson said. "McKinney had a really strong pitcher and we knew it could be a game where we might not get to him early but maybe we'd have a chance to do it late. We hung tough with pitching and defense and found an opening for our offense to cash in."

Plano returns to action Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. for a home tilt against McKinney Boyd.

For continued news and coverage on the local sports scene, follow @MWelchSCN on Twitter.

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