In his first year on the job, Vidalia High School baseball coach Mike Norris isn’t wasting any time.

After coaching in Utah for more than 10 years, Norris returned home to the Miss-Lou last year and has already made significant changes with the expectation to accomplish great things.

“I want to bring Vidalia baseball back to its rich tradition,” Norris said. “(The team) knows how to play baseball, but they need to learn how to play championship baseball. We can all say it’s a building year, but there’s no reason we can’t compete.”

To accomplish his goals, Norris is relying heavily on teaching the Vikings class on and off the field.

Expecting to finish better than last season’s 12-12 mark, Norris hopes training his players to respect the game will pay off.

“We will do the little things better than anyone else,” he said. “It’s about how they stand in the dugout and on the field. When they aren’t playing, I need them to be up on rail helping their teammates as much as they can. They are starting to get it and understand.”

Leading the team will be Vidalia’s lone senior Christopher Linder.

Linder will get the start in left field and said Vidalia’s game is looking more settled compared to the past three years.

“I expect a good year,” he said. “It’s going really good. I’ve seen a lot of progress, and I want to see us go to state (this year.)”

Norris said Linder is a quiet leader who doesn’t need to be told how to do something more than once. For a more vocal approach, captains Christian Fort, Tristian Weatherly and Cameron Rodgers will take the reins.

Rodgers will start as the Vikings’ catcher for the third straight year and said that the organization Norris has brought to the team is just what they needed.

“Everyone knows what they have to do as soon as they get to practice,” he said. “People started realizing that we need to stop being .500 ball club. It feels like baseball.”

Norris said if Vidalia perfects its skills now, the Vikings won’t have anything to worry about in the future.

“Once the game starts, my coaching is done,” he said. “We have a real good bunch. Practice is where we work hard, and the games are where we have fun.”

The Vikings open their season against Rayville at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Vidalia Sports Complex.