By MICHAEL BLOUSE, The Express-Times Is this the spring Easton's Red Rovers take the next step and become championship contenders in the Lehigh Valley Conference? Ian McCutcheon certainly believes so. "It's no more trying to scrape 10 wins together and qualifying for districts and being satisfied," Easton Area High School's senior catcher/team captain said. "We're setting the standard higher this year. I'm expecting to win. I want a gold medal hanging around my neck." Baseball is back -- and in the LVC's Northampton County Division, each and every club harbors the high hopes of a division crown. Liberty lost its dynamic 1-2 duo of aces J.T. Brotosky and Sean Heimpel from a season ago, and the Hurricanes are expected to be mere mortals this spring rather than overwhelming favorites. And that leaves the door wide open for five other programs. "I've been in coaching for a long time," said Bethlehem Catholic skipper Mike Grasso, the dean of LVC coaches, "and this is a tough conference and a tough division. I don't know if I could even pick a team to beat. No matter who you play, they can beat you or you could beat them." In the Lehigh County Division, defending conference champ Emmaus and defending district champ Whitehall will likely battle it out for the right to play in the LVC's championship showdown in May. But at Easton, there sure seems to be reason for optimism. With McCutcheon behind the plate and junior left-hander Phil Gunther as the staff ace, the Red Rovers could emerge from the pack and become the division's top team. McCutcheon, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, led Easton with a .391 batting average last season while playing a strong right field. Anthony Ventola was the catcher. After a fall with the Lehigh Valley Prospects, McCutcheon feels he's poised for a breakout season. "This is the best winter I've ever had," he said. "I've been in the weight room three days a week and taking 300 cuts a day three times a week. I feel like I've used my time well. I'm champing at the bit to get going." Gunther, a 6-1, 170-pounder, burst onto the scene as a sophomore by pitching a no-hitter against Nazareth. He finished the season with a 2-3 record and a 4.02 ERA. Like McCutcheon, Gunther spent the offseason focusing only on baseball. "Last year, even though I was a sophomore, I still pitched a lot of big games," he said. "I've been working on my change-up and mostly my mental approach. I want to be more consistent. I'm confident the guys behind me can get the job done, too." Easton coach Carm LaDuca is one who expects big things from his pitcher-catcher combo. "Those two work really well together," LaDuca said. "I often hear them going over pitches and sharing ideas in the dugout. They should be a big, big part of our team." Also expected to contribute for the Red Rovers are seniors Cade Brunstetter, Steve Aponavicius and Dan Mulrine, juniors Ryan "Chubb" Miller, Dan Cahill and Matt Monti, and freshman Jarred Holley. One thing everyone at Easton is in agreement on -- McCutcheon is the team leader and the one player everyone looks up to. McCutcheon is a son of Lafayette College director of athletics Dr. Bruce McCutcheon. "Ian commands respect from his teammates and from the coaches," LaDuca said. "He loves it behind the plate, he calls a good game and he has a gun for an arm. He also has a good rapport with umpires, which is very smart. He's a young man who carries himself really well on and off the field." "Everybody looks up to Ian," Gunther said, "especially us pitchers." "I take the leadership role very important," McCutcheon said. "I don't get really rah-rah or get into guys' faces because that wears on people, but I try to be positive. "If they respect you, they'll follow you." McCutcheon hopes it's all the way to an LVC championship.