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

1. Oxford
Head coach: Chris Baughman
2015 record: 35-1

The Chargers finished the 2015 season as the No. 1 in the nation in the MaxPreps Computer Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. Oxford won the Class 5A state title and it returns many of the team's top players from that squad, including MaxPreps Junior Player of the Year Jason Barber. All-state pitcher Houston Roth also returns and Grae Kessinger, an all-state infielder, is back as well. The three are all headed to Ole Miss, along with senior transfer Thomas Dillard, one of the nation's top catchers, who transferred from Briarcrest Christian (Tenn.).

See last season's Mississippi baseball computer rankings

2. Oak Grove (Hattiesburg)
Head coach: Chris McCardle
2015 record: 26-10



The Warriors have won 11 state championships in their history, including two in the past five seasons. It should be another strong season as Austin O'Flynn (.333) and Daniel Moore (.301) return to lead the offense and junior pitchers Drew Boyd (9-1), Kris Smith (3-3) and Payton Harris (2-1) return to lead the pitching staff.

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3. George County (Lucedale)
Head coach: Brandon Davis
2015 record: 23-8

George County played in the Class 5A state championship game last year, falling to Oxford in the finals. It returns six starters from last season, including Mississippi State signee Walker Robbins at pitcher and first base. Bryson Solomon also returns in the outfield, along with Connor Dunlap, while Kyle Whittington anchors the infield defense at shortstop.

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4. Houston
Head coach: Scott Gann
2015 record: 28-11



Depth on the mound will be the key for Houston, which reached the Class 4A state championship game last year. Denver McQuary was one of the leaders on offense with a .405 average. He will also pitch, along with Clay Hillhouse (6-2), Hunter Moore (0-1) and Tanner Smith (3-1). Sophomore Luke Hancock returns behind the plate after batting .410 as a freshman.

See last season's Mississippi baseball stat leaders

5. Cathedral (Natchez)
Head coach: Craig Beesley
2015 record: 25-4

The Green Wave rolled to a Class 1A state championship and they return all but one player from that team. Andrew Beesley batted .476 while Pate Shirley hit .408, Gabe Smith hit .394 and Zach Flattmann batted .351. Fourteen pitching wins return, including seven from Sam Parker and five from Smith.