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For the next two weeks we will roll out our Preseason Power 25. Three staff members voted on their version of the thirty best teams in the Preseason Power 25, with a possibility of 90 total vote points for each team. We will release three teams per day for the first week and then move to two teams per day once we reach the Top 10 next week. Voting for preseason teams centers more around the depth of talent on that team, as well as where it stacks up within their region/area, as opposed to strictly predicting schedule outcomes. 

Generally, larger schools and classifications have a greater depth of player talent on roster. However, once the season begins and records begin to take shape, the Power 25 will be adjusted as needed. In addition to that, we will debut our Private School Top 10 around April 1st and Small School Top 10 around mid-April. 

The #18 team is our first team from DC, the St. Alban's Bulldogs. St. Albans had some huge wins in 2023 and return some important pieces from that team.

#18 St. Albans     

The defending DCSAA champions return five starters and four arms from their 2023 championship team. The standout name is obviously Myles Upchurch (Alabama), who is one of the top arms in the state, regardless of class. While Upchurch is a big piece of the puzzle the Bulldogs return some key names like Derek Desmarais (Tufts), Preston Benner, and Logan An. Seniors Satchel Hamilton and Sammy Findler will be important pieces to add depth to this team. There are a couple of underclassmen that should have long term impacts for this program. Keep an eye out for a trio of sophomores, Henry Miller, Caleb Kim, and Jacob Romhilt, as well as freshman George Minjack, to be potential impact players in this program during the course of their career. 

Final Thoughts:

"St. Albans had some very impressive wins in 2023 and return a large core of their contributors. While they will need to replace Owen Basso, who departed for Dayton, but with Upchurch, Benner, and Desmarais, they have more than enough talent on the mound. I think the pitching and ability to limit opposing offenses is almost a certainty, but it will be the ability of the offense to produce versus top end arms that leaves a question mark on how far they can go this season. If they can find some run production in the middle of the order, they will certainly be the IAC/DCSAA favorite."

- Jason Burton (Virginia/DC Scouting Director)