Defending champions appear ready to defend their high school titles in the Sunshine State.
While basketball teams head into the postseason in Florida, baseball teams are also taking to the diamond with competition for many teams beginning last week.
Predicting the defending champions to once again win the title can often be folly since it is often difficult to repeat, but it's hard to deny the experience and talent displayed by many of last year's state champions in Florida.
Alonso (6A champion in 2009), Naples (4A), and Bolles (3A) all look like good bets to repeat as champions in 2010, although all face serious challenges along the way. Meanwhile, other teams, like Cambridge in Class 1A, could be the team to beat after several runner-up finishes.
Following is a look at each of the six classes and the contenders for the Florida state championships.
6A
Defending champion Alonso (Tampa, Fla.) gets the early nod as the favorite in Division 6A, but the state is loaded with quality teams in this class. 
Thomas Dorminy (middle) and Alonso are ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Photo courtesy of Alonso baseball
Alonso begins the year as the No. 1 team in the nation thanks to the return of MaxPreps All-American Thomas Dorminy and all-state infielder Tyler Ding.
Columbus (Miami, Fla.) and Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.) will give Alonso plenty of competition. Columbus has 10 players headed to Division I colleges while Lakeland is led by one of the nation’s top shortstops in Yordy Cabrera.
5A
South Fork (Stuart, Fla.) roared to the 5A state championship last year, winning four games by shutout before finishing off Chiles (Tallahassee, Fla.) 13-3 in the final game. However, the champs lose five all-state players, which could open the door for Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.) or Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.) to make a run at the title this year.
Jesuit was No. 1 for the early part of the 2009 season but stumbled in the early rounds of the state playoffs. Nevertheless, Daniel Gibson returns to lead a strong pitching staff that also includes Willi Martin.
Winter Haven was riding high in April and early May, but lost early in the playoffs and never reached the state tournament. However, Trey Mancini returns in the infield, Colin Richardson is back on the mound.
4A
Defending champion Naples (Naples, Fla.) looks to be the favorite to make another run at a state title this year thanks to a solid pitching staff and a starting lineup that includes returning all-state infielder Brad Fieger and second-team pick Kyle Zech in the outfield.
Runner-up Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.) loses five all-state players from last year’s team and will look to third-team pitcher Jimmy Hodgskins to lead the way in 2010.
Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), a semifinalist last year, returns one of the nation’s best third basemen in Nick Castellanos. He is ranked as the 10th-best player in the country by Baseball America. He’s joined by all-state first-team pick Johnny Cole in the infield and junior Jose Brizuela in the outfield.
3A
Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.) knocked off 2008 champion American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 14-4 to claim the 3A state championship last year and we could very well see a rematch between these two loaded teams this year.
Bolles has seven starters back from last year with a strong pitching staff headed by first-team all-state pitcher Mark Lumpa. MaxPreps All-American Caleb Denmark is also back in the infield while junior Austin Slater anchors the infield.
American Heritage, meanwhile, has a strong young group led by junior pitcher Jimmy Nesselt and junior catcher Brandon Sedell, both of whom were third-team all-state picks.
Pensacola Catholic (Pensacola, Fla.) also figures to be in the mix after falling to Bolles in the regional finals. Curiously, Pensacola Catholic did not place any players on the all-state teams, but it did have the top players in the Pensacola area, including Austin Farrell and Wes Mugarian.
2A
After being eliminated in the first round of the 2008 state playoffs, Westminster Christian (Miami, Fla.) won it all in 2009 with a 5-3 win over 2008 champion Providence. The champs lose five players who received all-state honors, including first-team picks Anthony Iglesias (catcher) and Carlos Saade (outfield). Sophomore David Thompson also made the first team and returns in the outfield along with honorable-mention picks Julian Loret deMola and Jameel Middlebrooks, both of whom are juniors.
No other 2A teams have an abundance of returning all-state talent, although first-round victim North Florida Christian (Tallahassee, Fla.) has a pair of key juniors back in first-team all-state picks Will West at pitcher and John Nogowski in the outfield.
1A
The race for the 1A state championship looks to be a four-team affair between defending champion Trinity Christian Academy (Deltona, Fla.), 2008 champ Eagle's View (Jacksonville, Fla.), 2008 and 2009 runner-up Cambridge (Tampa, Fla.) and semifinalist Trinity Christian Academy (Lake Worth, Fla.).
Trinity Christian of Deltona was just 15-12 heading into the playoffs but dominated three opponents to meet Eagle’s View Academy in the semifinals. After a 14-11 win, Trinity Christian then outlasted Cambridge 10-6 in 10 innings for the championship.
Trinity Christian returns first-team all-state pitcher Ryan Hadden along with second-team all-state outfielder Hunter Weaver. Junior Evin Lynch, a third-team selection, solidifies the pitching staff while honorable mention junior Matt Wisniewski joins Weaver in the outfield.
Eagle’s View Academy loses All-American Aaron Maddox at catcher, but many other key players return, led by second-team all-state outfielder Zach Houck. Austin Calcote returns to lead the pitching staff.
Cambridge might have the best core of returning players including two of the top returning pitchers in second-team picks Matt Fishman and Derek Self. Andrew Widell, a junior, is back at catcher while Pete Miller is the top returning infielder.
Trinity Christian of Lake Worth might have enough returning talent to make a push for a title run. All-state first-team pick Brandon Murray returns in the outfield along with second-team pick Vince Kossak at pitcher, and Adaric Kelly in the infield.
Among the players to watch, shortstop Manuel Machado of Brito is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 shortstop by Baseball America while junior Derek Orshall of Malone is a returning all-state pick at pitcher and senior A.J. Strong of Out of Door Academy was an all-state pick as a utility player.
