Skyview returns all but three players from last year’s team that finished third in state.
Battle Ground returns three lethal arms from a team that won the 4A Greater St. Helens League.
Camas fields a senior-heavy roster with four all-league selections that turned heads during last year’s summer league.
Suffice to say, there is no clear-cut favorite in the 4A GSHL.
“I couldn’t tell you which way the league’s going to fall,” Camas coach Steve Short said. “Everyone has a pitcher who can beat any team in the league.”
And there’s a new limit on the number of 4A GSHL teams that will make the postseason, which makes regular season play that much more competitive.
The third-versus-fourth-place 4A GSHL play-in game before bi-districts has been eliminated, which should intensify the race for third.
Especially when coaches believe just about any team can win the league this year.
“I think four teams in our league are talented enough to make a deep run in the playoffs,” Skyview coach Seth Johnson said.
Skyview will be led by Gonzaga commit Daniel Copeland, a right-handed pitcher and returning first team all-league selection.
In its third-place finish last year that saw the Storm play at Safeco Field, the team relished the extra weeks playing together in high-stakes games. Team chemistry was “through the roof,” Copeland said.
And this season?
“It’s the same and then some,” Copeland said.
But while Skyview’s aspirations are to be playing as late into the postseason as last year, it isn’t looking that far ahead.
“We’ve got to start with the league title and anything after that is extra, but we don’t focus on that until we win the league title,” Copeland said.
Two of the best pitchers in the county may not play in 4A (hello, King’s Way), but the 4A GSHL is not short of standout arms. And as Johnson was quick to point out, the last six league champions were the teams with the best pitching.
Skyview lost three of its top pitchers from last season, including All-Region player of the year Brody Barnum, who now pitches for Washington State.
Short warns not to count Skyview out because of it.
“Some of their impact guys on the mound are gone,” Short said, “but Seth always has somebody in his back pocket who is pretty good.”
“Right now Battle Ground has the three best arms in our league,” Johnson said. “For me, that would put them as a favorite in a three-game-a-week league because they have all three of those arms.”
Battle Ground returns Tyler Russell, Brian Nikolas and Tanner McDonald, all three all-league selections last season. Russell is committed to Washington State.
Union will field a young team highlighted by junior pitcher Carter Sutton, senior infielder Jordan Donohoe and first baseman Jaxon Woodhouse.
