Moniteau Jacob McBride (29) was the starting pitcher against Venango in their baseball game at Pullman Park.

CHERRY TWP – Colton Cumberland dragged the inside of his hand along the front of his practice jersey to show how easy communication is.

All the Moniteau baseball team has to do is get each other's attention. The Warriors believe the guys next to them will make the play.

“We're all on the same page,” Cumberland said. “All you have to do is get their attention, give one swipe and it's a pick-off move or whatever. We're picking up the signs that we don't even really have to give.”

Moniteau (10-2) hasn't flinched since opening the season with two losses in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Since returning to Pennsylvania, the Warriors have run off 10 straight wins and outscored their opponents 95-21.

Starting off with losses to bigger enrollment schools Mars and Friends' Central didn't hurt.

“Teams like that down there, you can't blow out,” Austin Blauser said. “You have to learn to scrap runs through innings. I think we brought that up here nicely.”

Making a surprise run to the District 9 playoffs last season gave Moniteau a boost coming into this season. The Warriors started 2-7 before rallying to win five of seven to make the District 9 Class AA championship game. Karns City ended Moniteau's surprising run with a 7-4 win.

“I feel like last year was like a building year for us,” said Cumberland, who is the Warriors' only senior. “We only had one senior that really even played a little bit. Last year was our year of getting comfortable with everyone.”

Moniteau passed its first test against Karns City April 24, rallying for a 4-2 win at Kelly Automotive Park. That win, along with a 4-0 win over Cranberry, showed Josh McBride how far the Warriors have come.

“Those two teams we knew going into the season were going to be the competition,” he said. “Once we beat them, we knew we did something right over the offseason.”

The Warriors' success this year has come from balance. Moniteau has a .337 team batting average and a team ERA of 1.93. Sophomore pitcher Derek Boben leads the pitching staff with three wins and a .29 ERA.

“I definitely think our fielding is the strongest,” infielder Jake McBride said about the team's strength. “We've been playing since we were in Little League and know each other's strengths.”

Cumberland leads the offense, hitting .542 with 13 hits and five RBIs. Austin Blauser has a team-high 14 RBIs and a .355 batting average. Both Josh and Jake McBride have driven in 11 runs.

Moniteau has only practiced outside three times this year due to the weather, but Josh McBride said it hasn't impacted how they prepare.

“You can hit off a tee where you're inside or outside,” he said. “We just work on what we can with what we've got.”

The Warriors, who are 10-0 in the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference, hope to win for a second time against Karns City Thursday to take another step toward a first title.

Moniteau hopes it can follow with a district title. That's what the Warriors learned from their slow start last season.

“We learned that even when you're under it, you have to keep going. You have to fight for it,” Jake McBride said. “If you fight for it, look what we got last year. We got to the District 9 (title) game.”

The Moniteau baseball team hasn't lost since dropping two straight in Myrtle Beach, S.C.. Here's a look at the Warriors' 10-game winning streak:• Venango Catholic 19-4• East Forest* 9-0• A-C Valley* 4-3• Cranberry* 4-0• Keystone 15-5• A-C Valley 15-0• Karns City* 4-2• Redbank Valley* 7-2• North Clarion* 7-0• Union 18-5*Played at Kelly Automotive Park