It's hard to beat what the Mystic Schooners have accomplished in recent New England Collegiate Baseball League seasons.

The Schooners have qualified for post-season play four straight seasons and appeared in the last two finals, capturing their first NECBL championship in 2016 by completing a series sweep of Sanford on a steamy, hot August night in Maine.

They also set a team record for wins last season, finishing a league-best 29-15.

They've achieved those feats by focusing on player development, not winning.

That's their game plan once again.

Mystic opens the 2017 season by hosting the Winnipesaukee Muskrats on Tuesday night (6:05) at Fitch High School.

"To be honest, the No 1. priority really is to develop these young men into better baseball players and to give them an experience during the summer like no other," manager Phil Orbe said Monday. "The winning part sometimes comes along with that as well. It's a component of it. I don't necessarily think that the winning is the end all, be all. Some people are going to read that and think I'm not being serious because they know me.

"But the focus really for us is to get these guys better and to develop them and get them to the next level. ... A lot of times if you can take care of little things and treat people the right way, go about your business the correct way, winning becomes a byproduct of that. I truly believe that."

Stability also is a contributing factor to Mystic's success.

Orbe, Montville High School's athletic director, returns for his sixth season. Dennis Long, the long-time general manager and pitching coach, is the new co-owner of the franchise along with Don Benoit, another veteran member of the organization.

You won't find three men more passionate about baseball. They truly care about the franchise and their players.

The fact the Mystic franchise has become a desired destination for college baseball players indicates the Schooners are doing something right.

"We're turning away record numbers of kids and programs that want to send kids here," Orbe said. "We get to be very selective in young men that we bring."

This season's roster is shaping up to be another talented one with players from four NCAA tournament teams, but lighter than usual as far as returning players. Kevin Magee of St. John's, who started the NECBL title-clinching game, as well as infielder Nick Mascelli (Wagner), pitchers Justin Cashman (Hartford), Mason Kukowski (Yale) and Kellen Croce (New Haven) are back.

Mascelli sat out the spring baseball season recovering from a broken clavicle. He was a strong NECBL most valuable player candidate in 2016, ranking second in the league in batting (.369) and finishing with two home runs and 22 RBI.

Other notable players include outfielder Cam Johnson, whose Davidson team will play in the NCAA Super Regionals later this week. He's hitting .268 with nine home runs and 34 RBI in 58 starts.

There's also a heavy local flavor.

Montville graduate TT Bowens, a starting infielder for Central Connecticut State University, won Northeast Conference tournament most valuable player honors and helped the Blue Devils reach the NCAA tournament. He'll be available for about the first 15 games before having elbow surgery on June 26.

Waterford's Adam Goss was an effective lefty specialist on Franklin Pierce University's pitching staff.

First baseman/outfielder Vinnie Pallisco contributed to UConn-Avery Point's run to the NJCAA Division II World Series. He'll join the Huskies in Storrs in the fall. Mitchell College standout Garet Griffin, a shortstop, is coming off a tremendous season during which he batted a New England Collegiate Conference leading .496.

Waterford's Connor Lewis, a right-handed pitcher for Hartford, will make his first NECBL start on Tuesday.

"Connor has made a lot of strides in the last year," Orbe said.

UConn will be represented by outfielder Chris Winkel and pitchers Dan Rajkowski and Trevor Holmes.

The Schooners will start the season a bit shorthanded. Johnson and a few other players will join the team in next week or so. As always, the roster will continue to change and evolve as the season progresses. The Major League Baseball draft later this month will have an impact.

"I'm happy with roster that we have," Orbe said. "We definitely want to hit the ground running. We have a lot of experienced guys and we're very comfortable where we are as far as the roster is concerned."

g.keefe@theday.com