It’s hard to determine how a baseball team is looking when they’re continuously stuck practicing in a gym.

But the Cranston West baseball team knows that the majority of the teams in the state are in the same boat, and the Falcons are making the best of the situation.

Because, whether its field is ready or not, West’s season opener is one week away – at La Salle on April 2.

The Falcons have to force themselves to be ready, as they’ll open the season on the road at La Salle and then at Hendricken on April 10 – the two teams that battled for the state championship last year.

“It’s going to be a big test for us,” West head coach Rob Malo said of his season opener at La Salle. “It’s only going to be our first or second time playing outside. Like most teams, we’re facing adversity right away with the weather.”

West will be up for the challenge, though.

After finishing 10-8 in the regular season last year, the Falcons battled their way to the Final Four, defeating top-seeded North Kingstown along the way, before falling to eventual state champion, Hendricken.

Malo will return the majority of his lineup from that team that made a deep playoff run last year, which should make the Falcons a playoff contender right out of the gates.

Going around the diamond, Sam Franco will take on the duties behind the plate, while West will have Matt Lonardo at shortstop, Travis Collins at second and Dan Smith will play third, but can also play first base and pitch. Collins is also expected to see some time on the bump, so when Smith and Collins pitch, Nikolas SanAntonio will be the other infielder in that mix.

The Falcons will be paced by Lonardo, who will look for continued success after earning First Team All-State honors a season ago as a sophomore. Lonardo batted at a .413 clip, compiling 31 hits and 25 runs scored, while striking out just seven times.

Collins and Smith were also recognized as two of the top infielders in Division I-North last season, as both were tabbed Second Team All-Division selections.

A big strength for West will be its outfield, with its starters remaining intact from last year’s Final Four squad.

Gersham Rainone, a Second Team All-Division selection last year, will patrol centerfield, while Steve Piscopiello will be in left field and Mitch Carvalho will play in right field.

The only place where West has some question marks is within its pitching staff.

Kemi Idowu and Myles Levy, two Second Team All-State selections and the two arms at the front of West’s rotation last season, graduated after outstanding senior seasons.

The Falcons will now move forward with great uncertainty in their rotation, but there’s no doubt that the ability is there.

Blake Giarrusso, a senior who did not play baseball the last two years, could be an arm that can log heavy innings for West.

Smith is also penciled in to West’s rotation, as is Mike Cuddemi and Hayden Parkes.

Collins will also eat some innings, but Malo believes that he will take on a role out of the bullpen – potentially as a closer.

Malo is confident that his defense and hitting will be there, but pitching will be the determining factor as to how far the Falcons will go this year.

“It’s going to come down to pitching,” Malo said. “Our defense was solid last year, and I expect the same this season. We need to execute at the plate. But the key is our pitching staff – and they have the ability to step us for us.”

Malo isn’t sure as to how his pitching rotation will go, but they’ll have to be sharp right away against some of the state’s top teams.

I know it will be early, but that may be an indicator as to whether or not the Falcons will have a chance to be a legitimate state championship threat.

They certainly have the lineup to be in the conversation.