KODAK As the minor league baseball playoffs drew to a close last season, the Chicago Cubs Single-A affiliate, Myrtle Beach, found itself in an 0-1 hole after one game of the Mills Cup Championship Series, a five-game series between the top two teams of the Carolina League.

That was the last loss of the season for the Pelicans, who rattled off three straight wins over Lynchburg to claim the Cup in four games, winning the title for a second straight year.

The core of that team is still together, but its wearing a different uniform this season, as six starting position players and two starting pitchers from the Pelicans find themselves on the Tennessee Smokies opening-day roster.

I think it can carry over, Smokies manager Mark Johnson said at the teams media day on Wednesday. It does excite me, but its a new year. Just like for the big league team, 2016 was 2016. We have to turn the page and move on. We have to start for today, and see how good we can get for today.

The new year comes with talented new pieces to build around, starting with David Bote. The infielder was named the Carolina League postseason MVP after hitting .341 with six home runs and 41 RBIs in 72 games with the Pelicans last season.

The Longmont, Colo., native was 10 for 15 with four RBIs in the championship series, including a 2-for-4 performance in the deciding game. Hes now hoping he, and his teammates, can translate that success to Double-A. Hes off to a good start, hitting .355 with four RBIs through eight games.

There are really good guys on this team, Bote said. A lot of us have played together for the last three years. A lot of us were in Myrtle Beach last year. We play hard, and we play the game right. Its just a really good group.

Bote isnt the only Pelican star to make his way to the Smokies. Charcer Burks, Ian Rice, Jeffrey Baez, Andrew Ely and Erick Castillo played key roles for Myrtle Beach in the field last season, while Trevor Clifton and James Pugliese picked up wins on the mound in the championship series.

Clifton (No. 7) and game four starter Preston Morrison (No. 29) are ranked as top-30 prospects in the Chicago Cubs organization. Burks has taken over the lead-off spot for the Smokies, a place where the Houston native thrived last season. Burks hit .247 with a .356 on base percentage for the Pelicans. He hit 11 home runs and had 43 RBIs.

Hes off to a hot start this season for the Smokies, hitting .281 with an on base percentage of .361 early in the year.

The team chemistry with all these guys right now is awesome, Burks said. We still have that same mentality of whatever it takes to win games. Right now, were just getting a feel for this league. Everybody is still getting adjusted, but as far as clubhouse feel, its just awesome.

Chemistry is a fickle aspect of minor league baseball. Players are constantly moving up and down in an organization, meaning teammates come and go. On top of that, teammates are competing for a limited number of spots on a major league roster, making it difficult to balance camaraderie and a competitive edge.

As far as Double-A baseball goes, however, the Smokies are off to a good start when it comes to putting together a fluid team.

Absolutely, that does help, Johnson said of the continuity. A lot of these guys didnt just play together last year, but have played together for several years. Thats definitely a key component in having good chemistry.

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