The race for second is on. With the two-time defending state champions in the region and with the talent that Cottonwood trots out on the diamond every day, first place in Region 6 already has a trophy with the Colts' name on it.
Don't tell that to coach Jon Hoover, however.
"We still have a long way to go to be a good baseball team," he said after a preseason win. "We have guys that are willing to put in the work to become a good team, but we can't play like we did in region or we are going to get beat."
The chances of another team finishing ahead of the Colts are slim. With two-time MVP and a top Major League Baseball prospect Tanner Robles leading the way, Cottonwood has the talent and experience to breeze to another region title. Robles throws in the mid-90s with his fastball and has a change-up and curveball to compliment the heat.
Rem Wilson has been a fixture behind the plate in the Colts' last two state title runs. His bat is as big as any in the state, and he is crushing the ball. Besides hitting and calling the games behind the plate, he can step on the mound with his 90 mph fastball to close down games after Robles or Kendall Mayer have set up a save situation.
But the talent doesn't end there.
"I think we have the best lineup one through nine in the state," said Robles. "I would put our team up against any team in the state, and I think we are better."
Eric Doi, Joe Glavin, Kyle Beverley, Jeff Lavulo, Stephen Rogers and Austin Wadsworth will consistently produce runs for the squad, and with a pitching staff deep with arms, it will be tough for any team to try to catch the Colts.
How the rest of Region 6 should fare:
MURRAY: The Spartans can hit the ball. Period. Without a weakness in the lineup, they are going to score some runs. Sean Moysh is a known commodity and puts the fear in pitchers, but he is not even the returning RBI man for the team. Brandt Anderson hit .473 with 28 RBIs last year, and Chris Grandinetti knocked in 26. Ryan Matson, Zach Lloyd, Josh Sturges, Nate Nilson and Joe Anderson complete the top-half of the lineup and will do the job at the plate. The question for Murray comes the other half of the inning. What kind of defense will it play, and who is going to step up on the mound?
"We have five or six guys that we are going to have to log innings from," said coach DerekHathaway. "We booted it around a bit last year, and we are going to have to play better than that, but our biggest question is what kind of pitching we are going to get. We don't really have an ace, so we are going to have to pitch by committee."
WEST: The Panthers return five players with significant varsity experience and are poised to contend in the region. Like most teams, how the pitching performs is how far it can go. Losing 80 percent of the innings pitched from last season leaves some big holes to fill for coach Bill Groves.
"We lack experience on the mound, but I think our defense and offense will be much improved. If our pitching comes around, we will contend in the region and at state," he said.
Jordan Pierce, Sam Raymond, CJ Salinas and Jake Zumbrennan bring the experience and talent necessary for the team to be right in the mix.
CYPRUS: Playing as many as eight players that were freshmen or sophomores last year, the Pirates took their lumps. But with that much experience, the team is much improved and should be in the mix for the playoffs.
"We only have two seniors, but we played so many young players last year, that it should not be an excuse that we are young," said coach Bob Fratto. "We hope to challenge for a good seed in the playoffs and then try to give it a shot at state."
Nolan Billings is the senior leader of the team and the best returning hitter. Dexter Fisher was the most consistent pitcher. Justin Eggers and Taylor Jones also expect to have a good season.
OLYMPUS: In order for the Titans to make the playoffs, they will need their young pitching staff to mature quickly. Eric Wood can be dominate at times on the hill, but the hurlers behind him are a question mark.
Braedon Colton, Jake Falk, Brandon Glenn, Preston Fairburn and Justin Davis will need to have good seasons at the plate and in the field while the staff finds an identity.
EAST: There is one name that continually comes up when discussing the Leopards' baseball team — Busico. It actually is two names as Nick and Luke Busico are the anchors for the squad. Both can pitch, field, hit and run and are the perfect athletes a coach would want as the leaders of the team.
Nick Hagen, Eric Bohling, Ben Shepherd, Casey Graves, Parker Cracroft, Adam Hansel and Jon Webb complete a lineup that will battle for a playoff berth.
GRANGER: The Lancers have a true inspiration on the team in Nick Crabb. He had a promising freshman season before suffering through a tumor scare and operation that did not allow him to be the same player as a sophomore. Back healthy as a junior, he not only can play the game, but help motivate his teammates as well.
Kelton Cotterman, Clint Felion, Austin Andrus and Marcos Barela should also make an impact as the team tries to squeeze into a playoff slot.
HIGHLAND: The Rams are playing for the future. Underclassmen dominate the lineup, which is not the best news for players like senior George Guerrero or three-year starter DrewSorensen. Joey Santora should contribute after returning from an injury, but getting young players experience and getting the program back to being competitive is the main goal this season.
E-mail: mblack@desnews.com