The Woodland High baseball team learned a valuable lesson last year after a mid-season region lead disappeared as the Wildcats faltered at the end of the season to miss out on the postseason.

Coach Corey Gochee said the importance of closing the deal is what resonates most with his players as they look to do this season what they could not last year.

"The biggest thing our guys learned is they need to finish games," Gochee said. "It's not a sprint, it's more like a long-distance run. We gotta get to the end. We were in first place halfway through the region ... [and we] ended up losing five straight."

Woodland led Region 7-AAAA with a 6-0 record in 2010 when it went on its spring break trip to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., where the Wildcats would win four more games to return home with a 10-game winning streak.

However, the Wildcats managed just two more wins in their final eight games -- all region contests -- to finish 15-11.

"I think it left a little bit of a bad taste in their mouths," Gochee admitted.

Woodland, which lost four key contributors from last season's team, sports 11 seniors, including guys like Jacob Moore, Josh Day, Cody Baxter and Landon Killian.

"We should be in really good shape," Gochee said. "We lost one pitcher in Alex Castaneda. He'll be missed, but we should be really good on the mound and defensively as well."

The Wildcats bring a wealth of experience to the mound.

"It's huge," Woodland's coach said. "Four out of our top five guys are seniors. Most of them have been starters since their sophomore year. The experience is there."

Moore, Day, Baxter and Killian all will take the hill for the Wildcats this season. Moore signed with Kennesaw State in the offseason while Day and Killian both inked with Calhoun (Ala.) Community College.

The aforementioned four players also are expected to produce at the plate, too, with Gochee saying, "Those guys have to help us offensively."

Baxter led the team in stolen bases and on-base percentage a year ago, he said.

"He's just a spark plug offensively," Gochee added. "He needs to get on base and score some runs as well as keep the other team at bay when he's on the mound."

Day, he said, is being counted on to notch RBIs in the middle of the Woodland order.

"He really hit his stride about halfway, or three-fourths of the way, through last season," the Wildcats' skipper said. "It took him a little bit longer to get going, especially offensively. This year, I think he's prepared a little more. ... Hopefully, he'll be able to hit that stride much sooner."

Moore, the team's left-handed hurler, has factored into Woodland's plans the last few seasons, which does not change this year.

"Jacob Moore has basically been our guy since his sophomore year," Gochee said. "He's very consistent on the mound and probably one of our best pure hitters that we have. I'm expecting a lot of things out of him as well."

Another Wildcat is the only non-senior out of the team's key players.

"Robert Harris, he's really the only junior out of our top guys, and he'll play third [base]," Gochee said. "I don't think he started a game, but [he] would come in the fourth or fifth inning and would shut the door [on the other team] from there on out."

Despite his relief pitcher status, Harris was voted the team's pitcher of the year by his teammates, Gochee said.

"[We're going to] try to get him a few more starts," he added.

While Woodland brings plenty of talent to the table, many of the teams in the region -- which added Chattahoochee, Forsyth Central, South Forsyth, Creekview, Lambert and Johns Creek -- do as well.

"It's going to be a little bit of a challenge. I don't think there [are any] teams where you're going to show up and get a 'W,'" Gochee said. "We're going to have to put it together, finish games and finish the season."

The Wildcats host Adairsville today at 5:30 p.m.