By Dylan Hefflinger
PBR Ohio Senior Writer/Northwest Scout

No. 6 Lexington High School

Head coach Kevin Morrow and the Lexington Minutemen fell in heart-breaking fashion 3-2 in nine innings to Wapakoneta in the district finals last season. The Minutemen finished with a 20-4 record, capturing the Ohio Cardinal Conference championship.

Lexington will have to replace three key contributors from the 2013 ball club in All Ohio performers, Zach Sterry, Logan Bastin and Mason Willeke, but will do so with four returning starters and four returning pitchers.

Coach Morrow feels the Minutemen will have an outstanding pitching staff, which will look like this:

No. 7 Sandusky Perkins High School  

Sandusky Perkins and head coach Ray Neill had a very impressive 2013 campaign, finishing with a 27-2, 13-1 SBC record as they came across the buzzsaw that was Defiance (state champions) in the district final and lost 6-1.

The Pirates return just four starters and two pitchers, but return athletes that will play at the next level, led by The Ohio State University commit Braun Miller (LHP/OF, Junior 6'3 180 L/L 7-0 record on mound 38 inn. 36 Ks 14 BBs 1.29 ERA, pictured right) and unsigned senior Thane Walton (RHP/DH, unsigned senior, ranked number 70 in 2014 class, 6'2 200 L/R 7-1 record on mound 45 inn. 57 Ks 22 BBs 1.37 ERA, pictured left).

Other top seniors include Devin Dubbert (OF unsigned senior, ranked 249 in 2014 class, 6'0 180 R/R .300 BA 16 RBI 19 Runs 6 2B 2 HR 5 SB), Luke Fraley (3B Senior 6'2 210 R/R .297 BA 16 RBI 23 Runs 8 2B 5 SB), Kyle Lewis (3B/1B Senior 6'3 225 R/R did not play baseball last year he participated in track but lettered in baseball as a freshman and sophomore. These are sophomore stats .322 BA 22 RBI 5 2B 3 3B 4 SB) and Conner Mapus (RHP/DH 6'0 200).

A few underclassmen that the Pirates are looking to contribute in 2014 include juniors Trevion Moore (LHP/OF 5'10 180 L/L) and Austin Hoffman (OF/2B 6'0 175 R/R) as well as freshman Dawson Nason (2B/SS/C 5'9 165 R/R) and Andrew Brewer (2B/SS 5'8 155 R/R)

No. 8 Columbus Bishop Watterson High School

Columbus Bishop Watterson and head coach Scott Manahan finished the 2013 season with a ??? record. The Eagles fell to Jonathan Alder 4-3 in the district semifinals.

Bishop Watterson only loses three players from the 2013 team. Coach Manahan feels the pitching and defense will be a strength for the Eagles.

Here is a look at the projected pitchers for the Eagles:

No. 9 Sparta Highland High School 

Sparta Highland and head coach Travis Church fell to Columbus St. Francis DeSales in the sectional finals last season, but the Scots still finished with a 16-6 record while going 11-1 in the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference. Sparta Highland has won four straight MOAC titles and seven of the last nine league championships and has won 176 games over the last ten seasons.

The Scots lose three key contributors from the 2013 season in Josh Gahm, Alec Harris and Evan Webb, but coach Church feels Highland's strengths are experience and team chemistry.

Some of the top hitters for the 2014 season are:

No. 10 LaGrange Keystone High School

LaGrange Keystone and 2nd year head coach Bert Fitzgerald move up to D-II after being in D-III in the past. The Wildcats finished 2013 with a 23-8 record, falling to Youngstown Ursuline in the regional semifinals.

After a successful 2013 campaign, the Wildcats return eight starters and five pitchers, losing just Camron Schumann to graduation.

The Wildcats projected starting lineup: