Patience at the plate and a core group of former Eureka Loggers played a pivotal role in leading the College of the Redwoods baseball team to a 4-0 start to the new season last week.

The CR men beat Mendocino College three times, including a 17-7 win early in the week and 11-2 and 4-2 wins on Saturday, with a 17-2 win over Community College of San Francisco on Friday sandwiched in between.

And head coach Andrew Aiello was happy with his players’ approach to the new season.

“I think the biggest thing for us was our preparation leading up to (opening week),” he said. “We’ve been putting in a lot of hard work.

“And I think there’s definitely been a change in the confidence from our guys that are now sophomores.”

The lineup, according to the coach, is being more patient at the plate.

Three former Eureka Loggers are also playing a key role early on this year’s team and make up more than half of the starting field.

Shortstop Richard Reeves and second baseman Parker Rodgers are both in their second year with the program and they are joined this year by freshman Seth Grammer, who is starting at first base and has impressed early.

“He’s a switch hitter and he’s got a beautiful swing,” Aiello said of Grammer. “And he’s definitely attacking the baseball and trying to drive it with power to both sides.”

Grammer had a base hit and a couple of RBIs in the season opener, and he followed that with a triple in the fourth game.

Rodgers too is off to a fast start and had two hits in three of the opening four games.

“He definitely had a hot bat,” Aiello said of Rodgers. 

Blake Browing also had three hits and five RBIs in the opener, while Cameron Witte hit a home run against San Francisco as well as a pair of hits in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Brock Lenhardt, Alta Huntsman, Logan Malinowski and Cole Pulliam all got the early-season wins on the mound.

Gavin Dansby also had three hits in the first game on Saturday, while former Arcata Tiger Miles Oliver impressed in relief and had three strikeouts in the same game.

The Corsairs will try to continue their fast start this weekend in a three-game series at DeAnza, with a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday.