Other than the name across the front of the jerseys, there isn't much resemblance between this season's Plum High School baseball team and last season's.

But it's that name -- and the program it represents -- is what the Mustangs deem most important. The program, you see, is strong enough that it led to another similarity binding the 2008 Mustangs to the 2009 version: Winning.

Plum went 19-5 in advancing to the WPIAL Class AAAA title game last season, making it 37 wins and two WPIAL semifinal appearances in two seasons.

But 10 seniors graduated after each campaign, including seven starters after last season.

That hasn't meant too much of a drop-off in the Mustangs' play. Heading into a scheduled game against Penn Hills yesterday, Plum sat a game behind Woodland Hills (9-4, 7-1) in the Section 4-AAAA standings with a 6-2 record.

"Since we lost all those starters, we're a new team. But we're the same program," senior pitcher/shortstop Rich Navari said. "Throughout the program, we start in JV and do everything the varsity does. Through the fall, all the younger kids are learning. There's a lot of excitement.

"Definitely, losing all those starters is tough, but there's a lot of kids who have stepped up to fill their shoes."

Among the big names gone from last season's team are Scott McGough, who was drafted by the Pirates, and Anthony DeFabio, who plays for Duquesne. Also gone are pitchers Tyler Collins (6-1 last season) and David Weifenbaugh (4-1) and Jim Carr, among others.

But the baseball factory that is the Plum program just keeps on manufacturing players to take their place.

"We have a lot of guys who really have that blue-collar-type approach," Mustangs coach Carl Vollmer said. "The last couple years, we've had some players who have gotten a lot of attention, and deservedly so.

"But we have a lot of guys out to prove something. I think we're all out to prove something, coaching staff included. People expect us to be down. It's our job not to let that happen.

"When you have a couple very successful years like we've had, people just expect that to cycle down as it typically does in high school. But we're determined to fight that trend and prove that we have a very good program that still continues to have very good players."

Vollmer believes this season's team is deeper. While last season, the lineup was generally the same for every game, now the Mustangs have been ushering several players in and out of the lineup, depending on a pitching matchup or who might be playing well.

"We have 19 good baseball players," Vollmer said. "We constantly preach to guys that if you're working hard on a daily basis and getting better, and if we see guys making progress, we try to give those guys opportunities to start here and there to take advantage of the fact they're playing well at that point."

One player who never has to worry about whether his name will be in the lineup is Navari, who has signed a letter of intent to play at Duquesne University. Heading into the week, Navari, a right-hander, had allowed only one earned run in nine innings of work during section games while striking out 13.

"He has very good stuff, and he's still progressing," Vollmer said. "The physical skills are there, and mentally he's getting better every time he's out on the mound. He has a very, very high ceiling."

Navari has emerged as a leader for the newest edition of the Plum Mustangs, but other standouts include senior third baseman and leadoff hitter Vince Garofalo, junior pitcher/outfielder Nick Manuppelli (2-1 with 28 strikeouts in 271/3 innings pitching entering the week) and sophomore left-hander/outfielder Cory Podvasnik (14-for-27 batting, 15 strikeouts in 121/3 innings pitched). Pitcher Nick Ferracano, a senior, has won two games.

The Mustangs began the season with a 2-2 record playing against high-quality competition during a trip to Florida. They've begun to hit their stride during section play.

Since the team sees itself more as "a program" than as a mere team, it's not surprising that the expectations remain high.

"Same thing as last year," Navari said. "We always keep the goals the same every year, the same expectations every year. No matter how many players we lose, we keep expectations high.

"Our goals are to be the section champs and make it to the WPIAL championship game."