There is no better time of year — hope is printed on the calendar page.

Spring. Rejuvenation. Rebirth. And the return of a 162-game odyssey, which never comes soon enough for the Cole family, of Meridian, Miss.

William (Pee Wee) Cole played semi-pro baseball (Sandflat A’s) and coached Little League for more than 20 years. His eldest son, Robert (Popeye), was the first black player to receive a baseball scholarship at Ole Miss. Another son, Greg, was an outfielder at Southern Miss. And his baby, Brian — who was nearly born during a game at a local baseball field — became one of the Mets’ top prospects.

But the game they love has long borne the scar of the one they lost 25 years ago. After leaving his first spring training in Port St. Lucie, Brian was killed in a single-car accident at the age of 22.