Familiarity on and off the field is extremely important in any sport.

For some of the 2019 Butler Iron Bucks, that familiarity started in high school.

“Not many guys knew each other coming in,” Iron Bucks coach Dan Helgert said. “But after the first week everybody got tight. Everybody gets along and they learned really quick to play together.”

Butler graduates Shawn Marcellus, Brandon Fleeger, Isiah Lucas, Ryan Lynn and Nash Bryan all have been reunited with the Iron Bucks after spending their first seasons with their respective colleges.

Marcellus, a pitcher from Wheeling Jesuit, said he primarily sees action as a relief pitcher for the Iron Bucks, but on Tuesday night, he got the start against the Black Sox in the first game of their doubleheader in Tri-State Collegiate League action.

“His (Marcellus’) command today was great, he beat up the zone,” Helgert said. “Everything seemed to be working for him and his fastball was really heavy today. He’s usually our middle guy, but we are a little short on arms and he stepped up today.”

The right-hander retired 11 batters while he gave up one earned run with no walks through six complete innings to help give the Iron Bucks a 5-2 victory.

“I’ve gotten a lot stronger since college started and lost a lot of weight to be honest,” Marcellus said. “I mainly just want to keep my arm strength up and because I’m still coming back from an injury during my senior year of high school.”

Fleeger, of Seton Hill University, has been a workhorse on the mound for the Iron Bucks in his first two starts, with 19 total strikeouts, one hit, and two walks through 12 innings of baseball, including a no-hitter last week against the Creekside Crocodiles.

“Brandon is a stud,” Helgert said. “He’s definitely one of my top guys and his command is just awesome.”

Lucas, who enters his sophomore season with Allegheny College, plays right field for the Iron Bucks and said there are some vast differences between high school and college ball.

“College baseball is very different from high school baseball,” Lucas said. “In high school you got a lot more politics, less practicing, but college is every single day.”

Lynn is one of the Iron Bucks’ primary shortstops and attends Wheeling Jesuit with Marcellus and Bryan. He is currently taking some time off due to injury, but will be back with the team on Thursday.

“(Lynn) is one of our leaders as a shortstop,” Helgert said. “He’s a little banged up, he’ll be back with us Thursday. Great two-hole hitter and sprays the ball out perfectly.”

Bryan has been seeing time as a closer, but due to his arm strength, Helgert might move him to the starting rotation.

“We were going to use him as a closer, but he started a few games and he throws hard, man,” Helgert said. “All our pitchers throw well. Strike zone, movement inside and outside, he’s a really good pitcher.”

With eight games remaining, the Iron Bucks enter the latter stages of their season.

Up next comes a home game on Thursday against the Diamond Dawgs at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park at 7 p.m.