The 2009 season didn’t quite finish the way Bellaire (Texas) would have liked. Ranked No. 1 in the nation in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings throughout much of the season, Bellaire came up short and missed out on winning the title.
With a new season comes new hope, as well as the confidence of many of the members of the Texas Baseball Coaches Association. The association selected the Cardinals as the No. 1 team in the state to start the season. Following is a closer look at the top picks in each of the five state classifications.
Class 5A
The Bellaire Cardinals spent most of the 2009 season atop the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Rankings but a loss to Brazoswood in the regional playoffs brought an early end to the season for the Houston-area team. 
Alex Silver, Bellaire
Photo by Kevin Long
Nevertheless, the Cardinals start the season atop the Class 5A rankings, according to the Texas Baseball Coaches Association preseason poll. A big reason for the high praise might be the return of seven starters from last year’s team, including stellar infielders Kirby Taylor, Kyle Chaskin, Alex Silver, and Daniel Gerow, all of whom earned all-district honors. Aaron Haffer also returns in the outfield along with Sean Washington. The main threat for the Cardinals, however, is returning district MVP Toller Boardman, who was Bellaire’s top pitcher last year as a sophomore.
The Woodlands ranks as the No. 2 team in the state thanks to the return of pitcher Jameson Taillon, who is regarded as the top high school prospect in the country. Anthony Azar, a senior catcher, is the only other returning all-district player for The Woodlands.
Pearland, a semifinalist last year, comes in at No. 3 in the preseason rankings. The Oilers return all-district third baseman Drew Dekerlegand along with pitcher Matt Rhodes.
Class 4A
Moody (Corpus Christi) and Calallen (Corpus Christi) waged a battle in Corpus Christi all season long to determine the best Class 4A team in Texas, only for a talented Texas (Texarkana) team to claim the title for their own. Blessed with a lineup that included three MLB draft picks, Texas edged Moody, ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time, 4-3 for the state title.
Texas is not ranked among the top 4A teams in the state in the preseason coaches rankings, but Moody comes in at No. 5, one spot behind rival Calallen.
Brenham tops the list thanks to the return of three all-state players. Brenham lost in the semifinals last year, but returns Chase Wellbrock at pitcher, Erich Weiss at first base and junior Drake Roberts at shortstop.
Lake Travis (Austin) gets the nod at the No. 2 spot after a strong 2009 season. Second baseman Kevin Conroy is the only returning all-state player; however, all-district honoree Wyatt Church returns in the outfield while junior Grant Gibbs is back at designated hitter.
Lake Travis’ district rival Hendrickson (Pflugerville) earned the No. 3 spot in the 4A rankings and return all-district infielder Pat Burris along with pitcher Trevor Seidenberger, infielder Tyler Havins, and outfielder Sam Swartz.
Calallen is the No. 4 pick and has newcomer of the year Wyatt Mathisen back at shortstop along with pitcher Rob Zastryzny and first baseman Roland Resendez.
Moody should be in the mix as well and will look for second baseman Michael Franco, designated hitter Kyle Mungia and catcher Marcus Villanueva to lead the way.
Class 3A
Giddings may have lost to Carthage in the 3A state finals last year, but it is the clear favorite to start the 2010 season. Three all-state players return for the runners-up, including pitcher Trey Masek, second baseman Brooks Marlow and shortstop Ty Marlow.
Jasper is ranked No. 2 behind Giddings while Estacado (Lubbock), with returning all-state pitcher A.T. Rivera, and Orangefield, with all-state outfielder Jace Statum, are ranked third and fourth.
Class 2A
Eventual champion Danbury eliminated Bishop prior to the state tournament, but the Badgers start the season ranked No. 1 in the state by the coaches association. Bishop returns an all-state battery in pitcher Carl Huizar and catcher Tommy Cavazos.
Ponder, a runner-up last year, sits at No. 2 in the rankings with sophomore shortstop Dalton Brown leading the way along with pitcher Jeffery Specht and outfielder Zach Hendrix.
White Oak opens the season at No. 3 and will benefit from district offensive MVP Jackson McCurdy, designated hitter Logan King and second baseman Derick Smith.
Class 1A
Miles defeated Windthorst for the championship last year, but runner-up Overton is the early favorite in the 1A division. Overton returns all-state catcher Scott Osburn and outfielder Telvin Darden. Miles is second and will rely on district defensive MVP Isaac Rodriguez, pitcher Brandon Schniers, catcher Nate Hennington, infielder Brian Schwertner and designated hitter Tyler Krueger.
Thorndale is ranked No. 3 and returns district MVP Shea Maupin at third base along with newcomer of the year Paxton Jordan.
