The only undefeated team in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings last year, Sumrall (Sumrall, Miss.) heads into the 2010 season with a 42-game win streak and a quest for a third straight Mississippi state championship.
The Bobcats finished atop the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national high school rankings with a 36-0 record and became the first Mississippi team to finish undefeated since 1996. Sumrall figures to be the favorite in the 3A division for the third straight season with a pair of standouts leading the way. 
Jackson Posey, Sumrall
Courtesy Photo
Jackson Posey and Chase Lewallen, both of whom are preseason Dandy Dozen selections by the Clarion Ledger, will be the backbone for Larry Knight’s team, which opens its season Friday at Purvis.
Posey was one of the team’s top offensive threats last season, batting .505 with 13 doubles and 10 home runs. Meanwhile Lewallen, the team’s shortstop, batted .435 with 10 doubles. Luke Lowery leads the pitching staff after going 10-0 with 103 strikeouts as a sophomore last year.
Following is a look at the favorites in each of the other divisions.
Class 5A
Madison Central won the state championship last year with a lineup filled with underclassmen, namely infielder Brayden Jones, who was named the Metro Player of the Year by the Clarion Ledger. The senior third baseman is joined by three other seniors who played a big role in the team’s success last season, including Ryan Bolden in the outfield, pitcher L.J. Hollins and catcher Peyton Johnson.
Terry should also be tough with DeShun Dixon, ranked as one of the nation’s best players by Baseball America, back on the mound along with all-state first baseman Michael Manley.
Class 4A
West Lauderdale (Collinsville) has won the state title two of the past three seasons and could be the favorite again in 2010. State MVP Darren Farmer is gone, but Wes Stokes returns at first base and should be one of the top seniors in the state this year.
St. Stanislaus (Bay St. Louis) could be a team to watch in the 4A division thanks to the return of Dandy Dozen selection Boomer Scarborough on the mound. An all-state pick last year, Scarborough was 8-2 last season with 100 strikeouts. According to the Clarion Ledger, Scarborough hits 94 mph on his fastball.
Class 2A
Ackerman is the defending champion, but it graduated most of its top players, including all-state infielder Jamey Cutts. All-state outfielder Andrew Furr is the top returning player for the champs.
Richton could be primed to make a move in the 2A division thanks to the presence of one of the nation’s top players in Jacoby Jones. Listed by the Clarion Ledger as a Dandy Dozen and arguably the state’s best player, Jones batted .575 last year with 22 doubles and five home runs.
He’s joined on the team by all-state utility player Taler Smith. Richton was the state champion in 2007 and 2008 before Ackerman won the title last year.
Class 1A
In the Class 1A competition, defending champion St. Aloysius (Vicksburg) fielded a roster littered with freshman and eighth-graders last year yet still managed to defeat West Union for the state title.
Many of those players return, led by Ryno Martinez, who was an all-state selection last year and is listed a senior to watch by the Clarion Ledger. He’s joined by fellow all-state players Stephen Evans, a pitcher, and Pierson Waring, utility.
MAIS
Jackson Prep has won three straight MAIS AAA Division 1 titles and a fourth would not be out of the question, thanks to the return of Kaleb Barlow, one of the state’s top players. An all-state pick last year by the Clarion Ledger, Barlow batted .504 with 17 home runs.
