The Southern California Renegades are back in the Connie Mack World Series after getting bounced in last year's semifinals by the eventual champion East Cobb Yankees.

Coach Si Pettrow guided the Renegades to a world series victory in 2012 and to a second-place finish the year after that. A 5-0 run in the Connie Mack West Regional tournament in late July in Huntington Beach, Calif., means the Renegades are clicking at the right time.

Four players who donned a Renegades uniform in last year’s series — Dillon Brown, Tyler Ankrom, Dylan Riddle and Jordan Martini — are back this year. But gone is CJ Broussard, the unquestioned ace starting pitcher of last summer’s staff.

Pettrow said his defense will be better this year, and although the Renegades will be without Broussard, Pettrow thinks his pitching staff has more depth.

“We feel 3-through-12, 3-through-13, we’re deeper than we were last year," Pettrow said of his crop of pitchers. "We’ll just have to play defense this year, and I think we’ll make another run."

It’s all about making a few more plays than the opposition, Pettrow said, and he hopes his team can survive during crunch time this year after being eliminated in an extra-inning thriller last year.

"Last year’s team was special," Pettrow said. "Going 10 innings or 11 innings or whatever that was (against East Cobb), and them popping us after we beat Prairie Gravel, it was a great run. (East Cobb) did a good job of making the last couple plays that they needed to make. We hope we can put ourselves in that kind of position again and make the most of it."

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2016 Connie Mack World Series preview

A Closer Look

Coach: Si Pettrow 

Hometown: Huntington Beach, Calif 

Region: West

Roster (number, name, position)

1 Chad Minato, 2B/SS

3 Justin Mazzone, C

4 Jordan Martini, 2B/RHP

5 Jake Lopez, 1B/RHP 

6 Dylan Riddle, LHP/LF/RF

7 Brett Auerbach, C

11 Tommy Delgado, RHP

12 Jonny Cuevas, RHP

13 Bradley Spooner, RHP

15 Nathan Webb, 3B/RHP/C 

18 Dillon Brown, 1B/3B/RHP

21 Riley Dent, CF

23 Tyler Ankrom, SS

24 Blake Sabol, 1B/C 

25 Sheldon Borson, 2B/DH

28 Tanner Bibee, 1B/RHP

31 Jacob Jackson, RHP 

32 Jacob Mesa, RHP

35 Zach Weller, SS/RHP

44 Jack Williford,1B/RHP 

55 Collin Quinn, RHP