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

1. Marcus (Flower Mound)
2014 finish: 32-10
Head coach: Jeff Sherman

The Marauders actually finished ahead of state champion Flower Mound in the regular season with a pair of wins to their credit. Marcus returns eight starters from that team, including seven all-district selections. The pitching staff returns its top two pitchers in Jack Cushing (8-1, 1.12 ERA) and Ethan Nichols (9-1, 1.21 ERA) while the offense returns district MVP Brendan Venter (.378, 14 doubles) at third base. Other returning all-district players include Drew Jackson (DH, .367), Ashton Easley (RF, .331), and Matt Bernstein (C, .258).

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2. College Station
2014 finish: 36-8-1
Head coach: Scott Holder



After winning the Class 3A state championship in 2014, College Station begins the season ranked No. 1 in the newly re-aligned Class 5A state rankings by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association. The reason for the optimism is the return of seven Division I recruits and three possible Major League Baseball Draft picks. Ryan Johnson, an all-state outfielder who batted .394 with 50 RBIs, could go somewhere in the first couple of rounds. Baylor Rowlett, an all-state catcher headed for Oklahoma State, could also be drafted along with Florida-bound outfielder MacGregor Hines. Other impact players include pitcher Kyle Richardson (Texas A&M commit), shortstop Jaxxon Grisham (Sam Houston State), outfielder Cody Staab (Rice), shortstop Waker Davis (Sam Houston State) and third baseman Mathew Bennett.

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3. Rockwall-Heath (Rockwall)
2014 finish: 34-9
Head coach: Greg Harvey

The Hawks fell short against Atascocita in the regional semifinals, but return a wealth of talent on the mound and in the field. Tyler Ivey earned district pitcher of the year honors as a junior while third baseman Ryne Randle was the district newcomer of the year. Coach Greg Harvey also earned coach of the year honors. The pitching staff also returns all-district selection Tyler Pinkston while Clayton Rasbeary (OF) and Colten Maples (2B) also earned all-district honors.

View last season's Texas baseball stat leaders

4. Carroll (Southlake)
2014 finish: 33-6
Head coach: Larry Hughes



State champion Flower Mound knocked Carroll out of the playoffs in the regional semifinals in three games. Ben Leeper, District 4-5A's top pitcher last year, returns for the Dragons along with Kevin Cramer (3-0 record). The offense returns all-district outfielder Eric Cole (.430) along with Anthony Martin (.333) and Nic Motley (.302).

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5. Langham Creek (Houston)
2014 finish: 31-6
Head coach: Armando Sedeno

The Lobos lost to Brazoswood in the regional semifinal and they also lost 13-0 starter Aaron Fletcher to graduation. In fact, Fletcher's win totals are part of 27 wins coach Armando Sedeno must replace this season. The good news is that Langham Creek returns five players who have earned all-district honors. They include catcher Mikey Hoehner, second baseman John Michael Sopher, shortstop Jarrod Wells, center fielder Tyler Rand and right fielder Kyle Finkenstaedt.