“I need you out of control!” Leavitt coach Dave Bochtler said to his eight pitchers assembled in the high school’s gymnasium for their first practice..

Bochtler spent the early evening practice explaining buzzwords such as “crosshairs” and “separation,” and breaking down myths about pitching, myths deconstructed from watching his brother, Doug, who pitched for six seasons in the Major Leagues in the late 1990s. One of the myths he wanted his pitchers to lose was the idea of staying balanced throughout their delivery to the plate.

A couple hours earlier, the Leavitt softball team was all business for its opening session on the hardwood. Coach Pete Higgins had the girls’ attention as he went through the fundamentals of pitching, including working the strike zone based on hitters’ stances.

“The focus was better today — in the sense that they weren’t off in a strawberry patch chasing butterflies — than it’s been in awhile,” Higgins said.

It may not seem like it looking out the window Tuesday, but spring has arrived and the spring sports season isn’t far behind. The first countable games will be played on April 11 (although most conferences won’t leave the gate until the following week).

The first full-squad practices start next Monday, but the Maine Principals’ Association gives pitchers and catchers a seven-day head start so the former can ease their arms into the season and get used to working with the latter. Teams across the state are allowed to have 10 players report Monday (eight pitchers and two catchers in baseball, any combination of those two positions in softball).

Both of Leavitt’s diamond representatives kick off the 2013 season loaded with optimism. The softball team is coming off a surprisingly successful 2012 campaign that ended just a run shy of the Western Class B final. The baseball team is coming off its first playoff appearance in 14 years.

Higgins will use the week to start evaluating his softball team’s strength up the middle. The Hornets graduated their top starting pitcher and shortstop and lost their catcher to an off-season injury. His team is young (three seniors, including one pitcher) but has considerable experience at the corner positions and the outfield.

The Hornets know the fine line between champion and also-ran can be crossed as early as mid-March, which explains their focus on Monday.

“It’s really important to take this seriously if you want to accomplish anything this season,” sophomore pitcher Addison Gagnon said.

“We’re getting a good idea of what we can do and what our season is going to be like,” sophomore catcher Livie Gilbert said. “The pitchers and catchers have to get to know how each other works and get used to working together well.”

Players were getting reacquainted with each other, but not necessarily the game. Many spent the off-season playing on travel teams or at showcases, attending camps and/or receiving individual instruction at training centers such as Frozen Ropes in Portland.

Josh Bunker, the ace of the baseball team, played in a showcase league until the end of November, then started counting down the days to Monday. He bided his time lifting weights, running, and after a break from throwing, building up his arm up again.

The senior admitted having to let up off the gas occasionally so he wouldn’t overdo it, but after getting a taste of the playoffs last year (the Hornets lost a preliminary game to Maranacook), the adrenaline was running high. Bunker hopes the sense of anticipation is contagious.

“I have high expectations for this team and I want everybody to come out of this with the same expectations,” said Bunker, a KVAC all-star last year. “I think everybody is going to look and see we’ve got some talent here. I want them to get hyped up a little bit, because I know I’m hyped.”

“For a while, this program scuffled in baseball,” said Bochtler, whose team graduated four seniors. “I feel like we’ve turned the corner. The kids are excited. We started going around the room and have the guys say what their expectations were. It’s no longer we think we can win. These kids really feel like they can win and are going to win.”

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