Last summer, Washington’s baseball team got the chance to compete against the likes of North Pitt, Ayden-Grifton, Rose, Tarboro and Greenville Christian Academy. The experience paid dividends this spring. The Pam Pack finished 15-10, marking one of its best seasons in some time.

The 15-win total was remarkable considering that the Pam Pack had won just 11 games in the previous three seasons combined. There wasn’t exactly a culture of winning within the baseball program. Washington’s endeavors in the scholastic league, as well as those that contributed to Beaufort County Post 15’s success, gave the Pam Pack a taste of success.

And the boys liked it.

“I think it gave them a lot of confidence,” coach Kevin Leggett said. “We didn’t have the best record last season, but we finished strong. We won the regular season last summer and it kind of taught them how to win. I think that paid off when it came to this school year.”

It was last year’s rising sophomore class that Leggett believes got the most out of the summer league. Fredrick Holscher, Tyler Harrell, Cooper Anderson and Chris Sulc all stepped up in significant ways and it translated well to the spring.

“Some of my (current rising) seniors like Cody (Godley), Matt (Black), Logan (Little) and Tripp (Barfield), they’ve been on varsity since their freshman year. They had some experience,” Leggett said. “I think that time with the rising sophomores really helped them out and got them prepared for this past season.”

Now Washington has the chance to accomplish all that and more. The boys have been playing this summer, too, but in a new conference. They get to meet strong teams like Conley, South Central, Riverside and New Bern.

“(The competition) is a little better and a little more consistent,” Leggett said. “A lot of teams last year wouldn’t have enough players and had to cancel. It’s been more consistent this year. This league has junior and senior teams, so it lets us get our younger guys involved.”

The objective of this summer is a little different, though. The new conference allows Washington to field a junior team consisting mostly of players that will be on next spring’s junior varsity team.

While a handful of rising sophomores made names for themselves last summer, Leggett isn’t necessarily looking for a ton of additions to the varsity team. A lot of the younger Pam Pack players will get the chance to improve their game with another season at the JV level.

It’s a logical conclusion considering the Pam Pack graduated just two players — Neill Jennings and Logan Winstead — from this spring’s team. There should be few openings on the varsity squad. In addition to that, not rushing players also helps build toward future success past next season.

“I think it’ll be helpful. I think it will help the younger guys like the rising sophomores,” Leggett said. “A lot of them will probably still be on junior varsity, so they’ll get that consistency next year. I think them playing with us this year allows me to see the rising freshmen, too. We can get them accustomed to our expectations for the program next year.”

It will be months before anyone sees what, if any, success this summer yields. However, there is something to be said about Leggett getting contributions from just about everyone on the team.

“We’re playing well this summer. There have been a few games where guys are playing on different teams or out of town or whatnot,” Leggett said. “Other guys are stepping up — guys who didn’t get as much playing time in the season. They’re getting some time on the field and they’re being key contributors.”

One of the only things Leggett wants to see improve before the end of the season is hitting. He said he noticed improvements from Barfield and Godley, to name two. However, consistency at the plate is notably tougher seeing as most players have been on the diamond since the winter.

Washington hosted Riverside on Tuesday. Log into www.thewashingtondailynews.com or pick up Thursday’s issue of the paper for results.