The 2004 Demon baseball team will have a new skipper this spring, but he will be a familiar face for many of the players.

Glenwood Springs High School named Norm Bolitho the program’s head coach in a move that brings the former Demon assistant back into the baseball fold after a two-year hiatus.

“Norm really knows the game and understands baseball,” Glenwood Springs athletic director Steve Cable said. “He will have some discipline and there will be a commitment level he will expect from the kids.

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“He’s going to be good for our program and he’s going to have some high expectations for our kids.”

Bolitho replaces Mike Laster, who was the head coach for the Demons for one season.

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Bolitho, who is also a teacher and the boys golf coach at Glenwood Springs High School, was an assistant for five years under head coach Mike Wilde from 1997-2001.

“Mike was really good at laying down a good organizational framework and how you should run a program,” Bolitho said. “So I learned a lot in that respect, as far as how to build and put together a program.”

Bolitho plans to see what his team’s strengths are before committing to a certain coaching philosophy, saying he needs to “evaluate the talent and players and work around those strengths.

“It’s important to just get the kids to start working together and start building team concepts,” Bolitho added.

“We need everybody to be able to work together and play together. Everything else sorts itself out as you go.”

The Demons finished fourth in the Class 4A Western Slope League last season with a record of 7-5 (8-8 overall), before falling in the first round of the district tournament to Greeley West.

Glenwood lost seven players to graduation, but, assuming the eligible players return this season, will still boast six seniors on this spring’s squad.

While Bolitho isn’t ready to name a staff ace or a key offensive player, he is setting goals for the upcoming season.

“You look at your league first, and we want to set a goal to win the league,” he said. “Having said that, I don’t know who has what coming back (around the WSL), but, as a team, the first thing on our mind is, ‘How do we win league?'”

Baseball practice begins Feb. 17, with the season schedule officially starting on March 4.

“I’m just excited to get back into the mix,” Bolitho said. “After being out a couple of years, it’s exciting to have the opportunity.”