High school baseball: No shortage of title contenders

In recent years, and in the history of high school baseball in the state, certain schools can almost always be counted on to be championship contenders.

Places such as Bingham, Taylorsville, Murray and Spanish Fork have always been competitive. Lately, Timpanogos, Cottonwood, Lone Peak, Judge Memorial and Juan Diego have emerged as potential baseball dynasties while winning state championships.

How do these trends relate to the 2009 high school baseball season? Well, it's because the past and the present could meet up with each other, as both traditional winners and recent powerhouses look to be contenders in each of the four classifications that play baseball in the spring.

For example, no school has enjoyed more baseball success than Bingham, and the Miners will be in the mix for the state title with more modern schools such as Lone Peak and Timpanogos. The same can be said in 4A, with Cottonwood trying to hold off challenges from teams such as Murray, Cyprus, Dixie and Mountain Crest.

With teams taking advantage of unseasonably nice weather so far in the 2009 season, here's a closer look at each classification:

CLASS 5A: Spanish Fork was voted No. 1 in the coaches' preseason poll, and for good reason. The Dons have great pitching depth, with four hurlers who are good enough to throw in college. Brock Duke, Adam Duke, Chase Castleberry and Tyler Duffin form a staff that features no soft spots.

"We've got a good, solid group of kids," said Spanish Fork coach Jim "Shoe" Nelson. "Pitching will keep us in most games. This group has always been successful, so we're looking for a successful year."

The Dons' roster could have been decimated by the opening of Salem Hills High at the start of the school year. Players such as the Dukes, and at least five starters could have switched schools, but they chose to remain at Spanish Fork and try and win together.

"We're happy they chose to stay with us," Nelson said.

If those players had left Spanish Fork, the Dons wouldn't have a prayer of competing in what's shaping up to be a loaded 5A classification.

Spanish Fork will be in a dogfight in Region 4, the state's toughest baseball league and one that will have only three teams in the state tournament this year. Spanish Fork, Lone Peak, Timpanogos, with reigning 5A MVP Rhett Nelson, and American Fork, with hard-throwing Josh Mooney, have already recorded some impressive nonleague wins. Pleasant Grove can't be counted out of the league race either.