Port Angeles (2A)
■ Head coach: Bob Withrow (eighth year, 83-51 overall).
■ Last year: 9-7 in Olympic League (fourth), 9-8 overall; missed playoffs.
■ Returning starters: A.J. Konopaski (Sr., P/INF.), Cody Sullivan (Sr., P/CF), Easton Napiontek (Jr., SS/P/1B), Derek Crain (Sr., Util.), Kyler Morgan (Sr., 2B).
■ Top newcomers: Cole Uvila (Jr., INF/P), Marcus Konopaski (Soph., C).
■ Player to watch: Cody Sullivan.
A second-team All-State selection a year ago, Sullivan has range in center and a dangerous bat at the plate.
■ Outlook: The Riders return an awful lot from a team that began to peak toward the end of last season.
Moving down from 3A to 2A will open up more playoff possibilities for the Riders, who missed the postseason last year after finishing fourth in league but third among its 3A schools.
Sequim (2A)
■ Head coach: Dave Ditlefsen (sixth year, 62-42 overall).
■ Last year: 8-8 in Olympic League (tied for fifth), 11-11 overall; eliminated at 2A districts (1-1).
■ Returning starters: Preston McFarlen (Sr., C), Ryan Hueter (Sr., 1B), Nick Ramirez (Jr., 2B), Isaac Yamamoto (Sr., SS/P), Weston Royall (Sr., OF), Drew Rickerson (Sr., OF).
■ Top newcomers: Ray Montelius (Sr., 3B), Tyler Campbell (Jr., P/C/DH), Karsten Wake (Jr., SS/2B), Kyler Johnston (Jr., P/3B).
■ Player to watch: Isaac Yamamoto.
The two-time All-Olympic League second baseman has been a steady contributor since he first began starting as a freshman.
A .365 hitter with 22 runs scored a year ago, Yamamoto will be called upon to deliver on the mound as well this spring.
■ Outlook: The Wolves are loaded with experience, led by four-year starters Rickerson, Yamamoto and McFarlen.
Those three in particular should give Sequim plenty of pop at the top of the lineup.
Each hit .300 or better last year and received all-league recognition, as did outfielder Weston Royall.
The biggest question mark for the Wolves is where they get their pitching from.
Outside of Rickerson, there isn’t a pitcher on Sequim’s roster that has logged a significant amount of innings at the varsity level.
“Pitchers will need to emerge and develop early,” Sequim coach Dave Ditlefsen said, figuring on Rickerson, Yamamoto and Campbell as his top three pitchers.
“This is a veteran crew that should be able to compete on a daily basis.”
Port Townsend (1A)
■ Head coach: Tom Webster (third year, 6-29 overall).
■ Last year: 2-14 in Olympic League (tied for eighth), 2-16 overall; missed playoffs.
■ Returning starters: Ryan Aumock (Sr., P/INF), Kyle Kelly (Soph., P/SS), Matt Juran (Sr., INF), Robert Ristick (Sr., OF), Zac Olson (Sr. INF/DH), Devon Courtney (Soph., OF), Jake Saul (Sr., OF).
■ Top newcomers: Dillon Ralls (Soph., 1B), Daniel Charlton (Fr., C), Cody Russell (Fr., INF).
■ Player to watch: Kyle Kelly.
The three-sport standout has all the tools — throwing, fielding and hitting — according to head coach Tom Webster.
■ Outlook: The Redskins have struggled to compete as the small fries of the Olympic League the past four seasons.
Port Townsend has missed out on the district playoffs each of year, with the 2007 team’s 5-9 league record its best showing during that span.
Once again the lone 1A in a multi-classification league, it must finish fifth among the league’s seven 2As to qualify for the postseason.
That figures to be a tall order given the strength of the league and Port Townsend’s recent struggles.
Webster said his team has “Lots of good young talent that must contribute right away.”
Port Townsend does return seven starters, so the experience is there.
Now it’s just a matter of turning that into wins at the varsity level.
Chimacum (1A)
■ Head coach: Jim Dunn (first year).
■ Last year: 11-1 in 1A Nisqually League (first), 18-4 overall; finished second in 1A (3-1 at state).
■ Returning starters: Landon Cray (Jr., CF/P), Devin Manix (Sr., OF/P), Quinn Eldridge (Jr., SS/P), Austin McConnell (Jr., C/P), Dylan Brown-Bishop (Sr., 1B), Egan Cornachione (Jr., 3B), Lucas Dukek (Jr., OF).
■ Top newcomers: Michael Nordbergh (Soph., 2B), Derek Ajax (Soph., Util.), Carter Tjemsland (Jr., Util.).
■ Player to watch: Landon Cray.
The two-time Peninsula MVP and All-State selection has all but owned the Nisqually League since first coming onto the scene as a freshman.
Last year, he was 8-1 on the mound with a 1.29 earned run average while hitting .482 at the plate.
■ Outlook: Longtime head coach Loren Bishop may be gone, but the talent certainly isn’t.
A total seven starters return from last year’s 1A runner-up squad, including four first-team all-league players in Cray, Eldridge, McConnell and Manix.
Assistant Jim Dunn takes over for Bishop, who led the Cowboys to four league titles in the past five years, so Chimacum’s routine hasn’t changed.
Neither has its pitching rotation — the top three hurlers are all back (Cray, Eldridge and Manix).
The Cowboys lineup should be potent once again as well, featuring a bevy of .400 hitters from a year ago in Cray, Eldridge, McConnell and Brown-Bishop.
Translation: It isn’t too difficult to imagine Chimacum competing for another state championship.
The Cowboys have reached the state semifinals each of the past two years.
In 2009, they finished third, and in 2010, second.
If that natural progression follows, they just might be lifting their second state championship trophy in five years.
“We have to stay healthy and be team oriented and work hard because nothing that involves winning comes easy,” Dunn said.
“Get better every game and give maximum effort and the rest will take care of itself.”
Forks (1A)
■ Head coach: Jerry DeFord (third year, 10-30 overall).
■ Last year: 1-13 in SWL-Evergreen Division, 3-17 overall; missed playoffs.
■ Returning starters: Michael Dean (Jr., P/C), Braden Decker (Soph., P/1B), Cameron Leons (Jr., 3B/P/OF), Tre Harris (Soph., C/INF).
■ Top newcomers: Reis Lawson (Fr., P/SS), Brett Pederson (Fr., 3B).
■ Player to watch: Michael Dean and Braden Decker.
The Spartans’ team leaders will be counted on.
■ Outlook: Forks will look toward its youth to help revive a program that has won all of five league games the past two years.
As many as five freshmen could start for the Spartans, according to head coach Jerry DeFord.
“I think we are going to be much deeper this year at most positions,” DeFord said. “It will take the freshmen some time to adjust from Babe Ruth.
“The keys are going to be our pitching and how fast the freshmen adjust to varsity baseball.
“I believe that we will get better as the season progresses and if we develop quickly and get some good pitching, we should be in the running for a district playoff spot.”
Quilcene (1B)
■ Head coach: Joe Whitsett (second year, 9-7 overall).
■ Last year: 6-4 in 2B Sea-Tac League, 9-7 overall; eliminated from 2B playoffs (1-1).
■ Returning starters: Brandon Bancroft (Sr., P/CF), Jake Murray (Sr., P/C), Faustino Suarez (Sr., OF), C.J. Schreier (Sr., OF), Kolby Schreier (Soph., P/SS), Dan Davidson (Jr., P/2B), Angel Perez (Jr., 3B), Jacob Plienes (Fr., P/1B), Josh King (Fr., OF/3B).
■ Top newcomer: Dustin Finley (Soph.)
■ Player to watch: Brandon Bancroft.
The Rangers’ ace has been a consistent force on the hill for three years, earning All-Sea-Tac League recognition as a sophomore and junior.
Last year he also hit .465 with 18 stolen bases and eight extra base hits.
■ Outlook: The move down to 1B should make the road to state a little less treacherous for the Rangers.
Postseason regulars during the last eight years, including two state trips in 2004 and ’07, the foundation is already there in Quilcene.
The Rangers will stay in a 2B league this spring and will likely have to compete with Mount Rainier Lutheran, Lummi and Muckleshoot for a spot in state.
They’ve got everyone coming back from last year’s 9-7 squad, so that should be more than possible.
“We plan on competing every game and we would like to place at the top of our 2B league,” Whitsett said.
“We have great pitching, team chemistry, work ethic, and our hitting is getting better every day.”
