Costa Mesa’s baseball team is taking a...

Costa Mesa’s baseball team is taking a beating this season--the Mustangs are 3-14, 0-7 in the Pacific Coast League--but first-year Coach Don Hunt isn’t ready to panic.

The Mustangs have lost to Trabuco Hills, 17-4, to El Modena, 13-0, and to Century, 22-3. But as Hunt is quick to point out, the Mustangs have seven freshmen and sophomores on the varsity roster, including six starters.

“We’re very, very young,” he said.

Costa Mesa started the season with 36 players in its freshman and varsity programs, but the Mustangs lost six players to grade problems and suspensions and two others quit the team.

But Hunt is optimistic. The freshman team’s record is over .500 and is .500 in Pacific Coast League play.

And some of the younger players on the varsity have shown promise. Freshman pitcher Jeremy Starns was 2-1 on the varsity before injuring his elbow last month.

“We decided we will take our lumps at the varsity level this year,” he said. “But we have three juniors coming back along with the freshmen and sophomores.”