MaxPreps 2015 Washington preseason baseball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

1. Puyallup
2014 finish: 28-0
Head coach: Marc Wiese

The Vikings have one of the longest winning streaks in the nation at 28 games in a row. Puyallup finished last year ranked among the top 5 teams in the country in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and three starters return from that group. Catcher Brendan Illies leads the way. The four-year starter batted .398 last year with 26 RBIs. He's joined by Zach Needham (.264) and Owen Breithaupt (.389). The Vikings will be without Gatorade State Player of the Year Luke Heimlich, who went 11-0 on the mound. He graduated early to begin his college career at Oregon State.
 
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2. O'Dea (Seattle)
2014 finish: 25-2
Head coach: Michael Doyle

O'Dea captured the Class 3A state championship last year with a 12-0 win over Bonney Lake. Although only two of the team's top offensive players return, O'Dea has regularly been one of the top 3A programs in the state. The Fighting Irish have won three state championships in the past six years. Andy Atwood is the team's top returning hitter with a .388 batting average. He's joined by Rex Stephan, who batted .377. Marques Carlson, who went 4-0 last year, is the top returning pitcher.



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3. Shorewood (Shoreline)
2014 finish: 23-5
Head coach: Wyatt Tonkin

Shorewood reached the Class 3A semifinals last year before falling to Bonney Lake. The Thunderbirds return five players with at least 50 at-bats from last year, topped by Steffen Torgersen (.354) and Harrison Jacobs (.317). Ian Oxnevad tops the pitching staff, as he went 6-1 last year with a 1.20 ERA.

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4. Beamer (Federal Way)
2014 finish: 16-7
Head coach: Jerry Peterson

A first-round victim to Woodinville in last year's Class 4A playoffs, Beamer returns seven of the top nine offensive players from last year's team, including Taylor Davis (.319), Ben Arata (.357), Kepa Sharpe (.286), Jalen Prather (.288) and JJ Asinas (.347). The pitching staff returns three starters, led by Davis with five wins last year and Asinas with three.



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5. Timberline (Lacey)
2014 finish: 23-3
Head coach: Matt Acker

While Timberline lost in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs last year, expect big things from the Blazers in 2015. Besides returning league pitching MVP Matt Mercer, Timberline also returns all-conference selections Ryan Connor in the infield and Taylor Adams in the outfield. The 3A Narrows All-Conference second team was loaded with Timberline underclassmen last year, including pitcher Zach Owens, infielder Tony Ortiz and outfielder Chris Roy.