At last getting some key regulars into camp after their contributions towards another lengthy basketball run deep into the postseason, second-year IHS Baseball skipper Bert Miller, his staff and his Bobcats will get the 2016 season underway the weekend of March 18-19 with the Ignacio Invitational.

Hungry to improve upon the lessons learned eagerly last spring, the Cats are slated to welcome Class 3A squads Buena Vista (10-10 in ’15) and Salida (11-8), as well as 2A’s Hotchkiss, Cedaredge (9-11) and 2A/1A San Juan Basin League nemesis Dolores (8-9, 5-4 SJBL), with pool-play action set to begin – at both SunUte Field and revamped IHS Field – at 11 a.m.

Ignacio (6-13, 3-6 SJBL in ’15) will open Pool A at IHS Field against SHS, with the Spartans then facing HHS at about 1 p.m. before the ’Cats and Bulldogs square off at about 3. Ranked No. 3 in the preseason CHSAANow.com poll (issued 3/7), Hotchkiss went 21-3 last year, advancing all the way to the Class 2A State Tournament’s ‘Final Four’ – via a 3-0 shutout of Haxtun and a 13-0 drubbing of Center – before losing by a run to eventual State Champions Rye at the Runyon Complex in Pueblo.

The Dogs ended IHS’ season with a 14-0 win at the District 2 Tournament up in Delta.

Pool B at SunUte will start with DHS battling BVHS, followed by CHS-BVHS and Dolores-Cedaredge.

The Day 2 itinerary will begin with the third-place teams in each pool going head-to-head at 11 a.m., followed by the second-placers’ engagement at 1 p.m. and the first-placers’ clash for the title at 3 p.m.