Natchez High School had perhaps one of its more memorable baseball seasons of late last year after reaching MHSAA postseason play and falling just one win shy of clinching a region title, an program the school hasn’t accomplished in more than two decades.

The Bulldogs finished 12-12 in the regular season last year and hope to continue the winning trend again this season, but NHS head coach Dan Smith will have his hands full attempting to replace seven regular starters.

“That group set the tone for the vision that my coaching staff and I have for the program,” Smith said. “We’re rebuilding, but the younger group saw what they were able to achieve, and hopefully they can take us farther.”

Smith, however, does have the added luxury of two returning standouts from a year ago in shortstop Jatavis Melton and center fielder Shavoké Herrington.

“In my opinion, those are two of the top players in the state,” Smith said. “If all the younger kids corral around them, then I think we’ll be OK. They’re still growing as players and in their personalities. They’ve been taking on a lot of leadership.”

The third-year Natchez coach said this year’s team will rely heavily on Herrington and Melton, in addition to the team’s athleticism on the baseball. And Smith is more than happy to play that way.

“We’re going to play a lot of small ball,” he said. “We’re going to put a lot of pressure on the defense, and that’s what I like doing anyway.”

In addition to his team’s baserunning prowess, Smith said he expects his squad to lean on returning pitcher Jordan Hamilton in addition to first-year starting catcher Charlie Latham.

“My (pitching rotation) is solid,” Smith said. “With this group, they’ve worked hard this summer. All the (youth leagues), they’ve done a great job of building up the 11- and 12-year-old kids.”

Melton said transitioning from an underclassman to one of the team’s veteran players has added an extra sense of responsibility for his teammates.

“Shavoké and I are going to have to step up for the team,” Melton said. “I’m going to have to be a leader and play hard myself. It gets harder now, (the other players) look up to us now.”

Herrington is eager to see what the newcomers are capable of providing and remains fully confident in their growing abilities.

“The young guys show me great potential,” Herrington said. “It’s all about how much they’re willing to work to be good. When I was younger, I could slack up a little bit. But now that I’m older, we have to show them how serious this game is.

“It’s all about teamwork for us.”

Natchez fell to Brookhaven in its region finale, 12-2, leaving the Bulldogs one win shy of the region championship.

“If we would have had them at home, we would have gotten them,” Smith said.

Melton said that outcome has served as a motivating factor for the Bulldogs heading into the 2017 campaign.

“It hurt last year,” he said. “We just have to go harder this year.”

Smith has added two members to his coaching staff this year in Steve Collins and Robert Benson and credits Natchez-Adams School District Superintendent Fred Butcher for his continued support of the program.

“I have 100 percent backing from the superintendent, the school board and the school district,” Smith said. “(The new coaches) are going to be working with my young guys. We only had two last year (Smith and Taylor Burton) for (junior varsity) and varsity. That’s one of the main things I’m excited about.”

Natchez opens its season Feb. 25 in the West Lincoln Classic, with the end-of-season goal remaining to bring a region title back the school in addition to reaching postseason play.

“The last time we won (region) I think was in 1998, back when (former MLB player) Nook (Logan) and I were in high school,” Smith said. “Our goal is to be playing at the end of April (in the playoffs).”