MaxPreps 2016 Texas preseason high school baseball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

1. Coppell
Head coach: Ken Clark
2015 record: 25-6

The Cowboys reached the regional quarterfinals before falling to Carroll (Southlake). However, Coppell begins the 2016 season as the top team in the state of Texas. The Cowboys have an ace on the mound in potential MLB Draft pick Charles King, who went 7-0 last year with 48 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched. Coppell also loses just one player from the starting lineup and returns 13 of its top 14 hitters from last season. Among them is junior infielder Jacob Nesbit (.340), senior first baseman Hayden Kettler (.279, 3 home runs), junior infielder Trey Becerra (.319) and senior infielder Marco Navarro (.288).

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2. Dallas Jesuit
Head coach: Brian Jones
2015 record: 35-4-2



The Rangers reached the Class 6A state tournament after winning the Region 2 tournament. However, Dallas Jesuit fell to eventual champion Cypress Ranch in the semifinals. The Rangers return one of the most versatile players in the nation in MaxPreps Junior All-American Kyle Muller. The senior pitcher/outfielder went 8-1 on the mound with 106 strikeouts and batted .383 with 14 doubles and seven home runs. A pair of experienced junior pitchers return in Jacob Palisch (4-0) and J.J. Montenegro (4-1), while senior catcher Bryce Bonner (.378) and senior infielder Cameron Dobbs (.355) also return.

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3. Cypress Ranch (Houston)
Head coach: John Pope
2015 record: 31-6

The 2015 Class 6A state champions defeated Dallas Jesuit 2-1 in the semifinals and Martin (Arlington) 3-0 in the championship game. The title was the second in the past four seasons for Cypress Ranch. Tyler Bielamowicz is the top returning player for the Mustangs, as he batted .451 last season and also went 3-1 on the mound. The Mustangs also return all-district picks Marshall Skinner (.325) at catcher and Garrett Herrmann (.311) at designated hitter.

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4. Martin (Arlington)
Head coach: Curt Culbertson
2015 record: 28-6



The Warriors knocked off Alexander (Laredo) in the semifinals of the Class 6A state tournament, but they fell to Cypress Ranch in the championship game. Martin returns four key players from that team, including District 4-6A MVP pitcher Eric Walker, junior outfielder Tristen Lutz and senior pitchers Connor Lidiak and Nick Skeffington.

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5. Alexander (Laredo)
Head coach: Mario Garcia
2015 record: 31-4

Alexander was the Region 4 Class 6A champion last year and lost to Martin (Arlington) in the state tournament semifinals. A total of 15 pitching wins return in the form of seniors Sergio Macias (8-0, 1.21 ERA) and Aldo Buendia (7-0, 1.54). Macias is also the top returning hitter with a .516 batting average and four home runs. Junior Ramon Ballina (.416) returns at third base while Jerry Sepulveda (.250) is back at first base.