Our Lady of Sacred Heart's baseball program has come a long way since head coach Ken LaQuinta took over in 2003.

The Chargers won just one game each of LaQuinta's first two seasons before turning the corner.

OLSH has been a WPIAL playoff team the past three seasons and won the Section 2-A championship last year, the school's first section crown since 2000.

OLSH has established itself as a consistent contender in Class A. Now, LaQuinta and the Chargers want to take the next step.

The Chargers have seen their season end in the WPIAL Class A playoff quarterfinals three years in a row, including an 8-0 loss to Serra Catholic in 2007.

"We haven't gotten over that hump," LaQuinta said. "Maybe this will be the year we get past the quarterfinals."

Before the Chargers can take that next step, LaQuinta will have to find replacements for five starters lost to graduation from a team that went 16-4 in 2007.

The OLSH roster is loaded with freshmen and sophomores competing for playing time.

"The talent drop off from last year isn't that much," LaQuinta said. "The drop off is in experience. Our young kids are going to have to come through."

LaQuinta can rely on four experienced players to anchor his lineup. Three-year letter-winners Andrew DeSalle and Graham Harkins, both seniors, will play key roles.

DeSalle, who started at second base the last three years, is moving to center field. LaQuinta expects a smooth transition for DeSalle, who was the team's MVP a year ago when he was among the WPIAL leaders with a .561 batting average.

Harkins, a right-hander who went 6-3 on the mound in 2007, is the Chargers' top pitcher.

DeSalle will bat third in the lineup ahead of cleanup hitter David McNeill, a junior catcher with Division I college potential.

Ryan Zeneski started at third base as a freshman last season. This spring, he's shifting over to shortstop.

"Those four (DeSalle, Harkins, McNeill, Zeneski) will be the keys to this year," LaQuinta said. "With them, we should be pretty decent up the middle."

LaQuinta expects sophomore Julian Leto to claim the starting second base job, replacing DeSalle.

Sophomore Dylan Zeneski, Ryan's twin brother, is among the leading candidates to fill an outfield position.

LaQuinta has high expectations for a pitching staff that will include Harkins, McNeill, DeSalle, Dylan Zeneski and sophomore Ronald Glozzer.

"Pitching should be the strength of our team," LaQuinta said.

LaQuinta sees Avella, Cornell and Chartiers-Houston as the teams to beat in Section 2-A.

The Chargers travel to Cocoa Beach, Fla., March 25 to 28, where they'll practice and play two exhibition games. The team opens WPIAL play with a section game at home against Clairton on April 2.