The Saugus 14-year-old Babe Ruth all-star team begins its quest tonight (5:30 at Balch Field in Norwood against Lawrence) to do what it did last year as 13s: Win a state championship.The 14s have been buoyed this year by the return of pitcher/infielder Riley MacEachern, who did not play in last year’s tournament, to the fold.”Having him here has been great for us,” says manager Derek Sweeney. “He’s just a big boy, and his presence scares a lot of people ? and that holds to our advantage in some ways.”But Saugus is certainly more than a one-man team. For the most part, says Sweeney, defense and smarts have landed this squad into its second straight state tournament.”That’s the truth,” Sweeney said. “Defensively we’re sound. We don’t make errors. And if we do, we pick up on it and it won’t cost us in the long run.”We work on defense in and out during practices,” he said. “It’s second nature to them.”Dom DiPesa and Nick Antenucci share mound duties with MacEachern, and sometimes even catcher Nick Enos steps out of the equipment long enough to throw a few. And when that happens, MacEachern puts the equipment on.As is usually the case, infield can be a case of musical chairs. With MacEachern on the mound, DiPesa plays short and Antenucci goes to third. However, if DiPesa’s pitching, Antenucci moves over to short and MacEachern steps in at third.”Riley plays wherever we need him,” says Sweeney. “Everyone knows what he’s got.”Offensively, Sweeney says Antenucci’s swung the hot bat in the three games Saugus played in the District 1 tournament.”He’s on fire right now, offensively,” Sweeney said.Also carrying the load offensively are MacEachern, Nick Sweeney and Dan Trench, who hit a homer in one of the games at World Series Park in Saugus, where the District 1 tournament was played.Enos “calls a good game,” said Sweeney. “He’s always in the game, he’s a head’s-up player, and has a good arm.”Sweeney sees Plymouth – which the 13s beat right out of the gate, and then again in the final, last year – as the team’s biggest competition.”But the only way we get to see them is in the winner’s bracket finals or if one of us loses and goes all the way,” he said.