Milton: No. 5 in 2014 Xcellent 25 Preseason National Baseball Rankings

The Milton Eagles arrived at the big time a year ahead of schedule. Blessed with a lineup of talented juniors, the Eagles battled their way through the Georgia AAAAAA playoffs last season to win the state championship, the third in school history and the first since 2004.

Now, coach Joey Ray has one of the deepest teams in the state with a lineup that includes nine returning seniors, many of whom are three or four-year starters.

"Our strength will be our experience," said Ray. "Pitching and defense has also been one of the biggest strengths of our program over the last few years."

With the wealth of experience returning, including MaxPreps Preseason All-American pitcher Dylan Cease, Milton begins the season ranked No. 5 in the Xcellent 25 Preseason National Baseball Rankings. MaxPreps will announce the rest of its top 10 starting on Feb. 17 and conclude with the Top 100 on Feb. 21. See the Top 10 teams landing page here

The Eagles have been a perennial contender since Ray took the helm about six years ago. The Eagles have 10 region championships in school history, with four of them over the last four seasons under Ray. Last year, Milton set a school record for wins in a season with a 29-9-1 record.

Along the way, Milton knocked off two-time defending state champion Parkview in the semifinals and then topped Roswell in the championship series.

Milton figures to have a tough path to a repeat. According to Ray, the Eagles have a killer schedule that includes some of the toughest teams in the nation.

"I believe we will be playing one of the toughest schedules in the country," he said. "Four games against teams at the National High School Invitational, two games against out-of-state opponents who are top 10 teams in their state, as well as playing in a region that sent three teams to the final four last year."

Fortunately for Ray, Milton has the depth and experience necessary to navigate such rough waters. Start with Cease, a potential first round pick in the Major League Baseball Draft in June who went 9-0 on the mound last year. Cease also figures to be one of Milton's top batters after knocking in 28 runs and hitting four homers as a junior.

Add in Alex Schnell, who came up big in the postseason and finished with a 7-0 record and a 0.51 ERA. A trio of newcomers, including righthanders Matt Geiger (senior) and Clay Forbes (junior), and lefthander (junior) Kyle Jaworski fill out the pitching staff.

The entire infield returns for the Eagles, including Cease at shortstop, Dalon Farkas at third base, Ryan Gridley at second and Jack Thompson at first base.

The Eagles also have depth at catcher with Alec Miller and Alec Cease sharing the duties. The outfield includes Schnell, Dalton Ewing and Erik Petersen.

Milton opens with McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) on Monday and has games against tough out-of-state opponents Huntsville (Ala.) and Riverdale (Tenn.) in the preseason. The Eagles will play in the NHSI on March 26-29.

View a gallery of  the Milton preseason photo shoot