Morse sophomore Oscar Gallant throws a pitch during an April 4 scrimmage against Oxford Hills at Bowdoin College. Cooper Sullivan/The Times Record

BATH — At the end of the Morse baseball team’s practice on Monday, each member of the team grabbed a yoga mat. The gymnasium lights dim and calming nature sounds replace loud metallic pings. The athletes form a circle around English teacher Johnna Stanton, stretching their bodies and relaxing their minds.

The Shipbuilders believe they have the physical talent to compete with the rest of the KVAC, but, they say, their mental focus is what’s needed to separate them from the crowd and push them to their sixth-straight Class B South postseason berth.

As Garrett Olson begins his second stint as the Morse head coach, the former professional ballplayer is making his players take note of their mental preparation.

Literally.

Every player now carries a notebook full of practice observations, breakdowns of situational scenarios and general pieces of advice. With new information written in the notebooks each day, it is a constant resource to rely on, but also a safeguard if players get behind in the count.

“It was something that I had a coach teach me a long time ago and helped me a lot,” said Olson, who played at Oxford Hills and Franklin Pierce University before a four-year minor league career. “I’m big on the mental side of baseball. Baseball is one of those sports where if you just mentally do things right — you’re not always going to physically do things right, but if mentally you’re in the right place, or you’re taking the right approach — the law of averages are going to be in our favor.

“There’s so many things that we talk about in practice when we’re here. Today, we’re working with guys, I might talk to you about something and give you a little tip that works, but as we go on, you kind of forget those tips. So I’m asking (them to) write that stuff down so that (if) I might be struggling or something feels off, I can read back to my own notes of what makes sense to me.”

After only a few weeks, players have seen the notetaking method translate to game improvements. Senior shortstop Jackson Murray says its helped him maximize production at the plate, where he is already adjusting to a new batting stance.

“Last year, I didn’t have an approach or anything like that,” Murray said. “This year, I’ve got something to look at and read and be like, ‘OK, so I’m gonna make sure I do this next time I go up to bat,’ or (know) what pitch to hit, what pitch to look for and stuff like that.”

Morse sophomore Oscar Gallant throws a pitch during an April 4 scrimmage against Oxford Hills at Bowdoin College. Cooper Sullivan/The Times Record

Senior center fielder Caleb Harvey says writing in the notebook helps him stay grounded.

“A lot of it’s just the mental side of it, I think, because we’re just writing stuff to stay locked in,” Harvey said. “I mean, it’s frustrating (when) you make errors. Things happen, you get in your head, and then it’s all done. The notebooks really help you stay in your zone.”

Besides being Morse’s ace, senior Oscar Nelson will spend some time at first, second and third base this spring. So, to avoid any Abbott-and-Costello-like confusion, he has written down all of his defensive relays and mental cues for each infield position.

“Any chance to avoid any one of those little mental mistakes is what I’m after,” Olson said.

With poor weather forcing many practices inside or onto the turf, live reps in the dirt have been difficult to come by this preseason. But even so, Olson says this squad is “ahead of the curve,” which he attributes to the team’s coachability and willingness to take classroom and indoor sessions just as serious. He’s also seen an improvement in the team’s base running, play-making aggression and ability to stay composed.

Nelson, also the Shipbuilders’ top returning hitter, said he and his fellow senior leaders felt the responsibility to set that tone. Oscar Gallant, a sophomore first baseman and the No. 2 arm, has noticed the shift from the upperclassmen to the rest of the tight-knit team.

“We all want to win,” Gallant said. “We all want to try. We all want to get better as a team and individuals, so we always strive to get better.”

Motivation is plentiful for Morse this season, starting with the season opener April 22 on the road against Wells, the team that knocked the Shipbuilders out of last year’s B South preliminary round.

“I think we’ve got all the talent,” Nelson said. “We just have to get our mindset right and know that we can’t let off the gas, no matter who we’re playing, no matter what the score is. We’re going to keep playing good teams, and eventually we’re going to hit playoffs and we can’t just stop there. We got to keep going.”