Stars gone, expectations remain for Gators

      Although this year's Green Valley team will have a different look, the expectations for success are the same.
      The Gators, winners of four straight state baseball titles, return only two starters from last year's team. That didn't stop league coaches from picking them to win it all again.
      "As far as state goes, I guess it goes through Green Valley," Bishop Gorman coach Tim Chambers said. "I guess they would have to be the team to beat, then Durango and it's a toss-up after that."
      Among the biggest losses for Green Valley were pitcher Taylor Myers and center fielder Nick Day. Myers, a second-round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals, was 9-1 with a 1.74 ERA. Day was the Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year for Nevada after hitting .482. He was picked in the 15th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
      "Well, hopefully (other players) will step up," Green Valley coach Rodger Fairless said. "I just hope we can make it to the playoffs. That's all I can hope for."
      Durango, which lost to Green Valley in the state title game, is the favorite in the Sunset Division. With pitchers Tom Doxey, Alan Webb and Nick Aiello returning, the Trailblazers also have the best chance to unseat Green Valley as state champs. Doxey was a first-team all-conference selection, and Aiello has already committed to Creighton.
      Gorman should also contend for the Sunset title, and Cheyenne and Silverado could be the surprise teams in the division.
     SUNRISE DIVISION
      -- GREEN VALLEY (11-1, 25-3) -- The Gators' only returning starters are senior shortstop Bobby Pierce and senior second baseman Gerry Alesia, both second-team all-conference picks.
      "We're going to have to have good pitching and play good defense," Fairless said.
      Leading the way on the mound will be senior Taylor Smith, a first-team all-conference selection. He will be joined by Mike Naninni, Ian Jones and Doug Kohl.
      -- BASIC (8-4, 15-3) -- Despite having nine first-year varsity players, the Wolves look like a solid division contender.
      They will be led by second-team all-conference selection Angelo Seybert, who moves from left field to center.
      Helping to carry the load will be pitcher-third baseman Jess Prisbey, shortstop Anthony Caracciolo and first baseman-pitcher Jeff Rednour.
      "We've only got 14 guys on the roster, but they all work really hard and give 100 percent," Basic coach Anson Jones said.
      -- LAS VEGAS (8-4, 16-10) -- The Wildcats graduated 10 seniors, including their top two pitchers, Justin Moser and Marty Evans.
      Third baseman-pitcher Jared Blasdell and catcher Chris O'Brien will be counted on to lead the team. Blasdell was a second-team all-conference selection at third base. Also returning is pitcher-first baseman Jeremy Levey, a part-time starter last year.
      "We're inexperienced," Las Vegas coach Steve Gahn said. "The more games we can get under the belt, the better we're going to be."
      -- RANCHO (5-7, 12-15) -- The Rams have a veteran team, with three seniors and four juniors returning.
      "That type of experience we haven't had in the past," Rancho coach Wilfredo Rivera said. "We have it now. We hope that will shore us up and get us into the playoffs."
      Shortstop Ricardo Jasso, a four-year starter, leads the returnees.
      -- CHAPARRAL (5-7, 9-14) -- The Cowboys recovered from a slow start last season, winning four of their last five games in the division and appear poised to battle for a playoff spot.
      -- VALLEY (3-9, 8-17) -- First-year coach Greg Murphy needs to get many innings out of his thin starting staff.
      Outfielder Clark Brinker (.370), infielder Mike Cirkosz, infielder Derek Cotton and infielder-outfielder Manny Pena will anchor the lineup. All four also will see time on the mound for the Vikings.
      -- ELDORADO (2-10, 5-20) -- The Sundevils look to improve on their last-place division finish. Center fielder Jess Warren and first baseman-catcher Brent Tarbett should be team leaders.
      Warren also looks to be Eldorado's top pitcher.
      Eldorado coach Kyle Cardinal expects solid performances from senior infielder Ricky Ferreira and sophomore pitcher-outfielder Gary Hee.
     SUNSET DIVISION
      -- WESTERN (11-3, 20-6) -- The Warriors have won the division title the last two years but were hit hard by graduation, losing seven starters.
      The biggest losses were infielder-pitcher Andy McCulloch (UNLV) and outfielder Shawn Hogge (St. Louis Cardinals organization). McCulloch hit .462 last season with six home runs and 34 RBIs and was 5-1 with a 1.29 ERA.
      Leading the way will be junior pitcher-shortstop Pat Connors and senior right fielder-pitcher Jason Woods.
      -- BISHOP GORMAN (11-3, 27-3) -- The Gaels have the deepest, if not the best, pitching staff in the division.
      "We have about seven or eight guys that we have confidence in," Chambers said.
      Anchoring the staff will be 6-foot-4 left-hander Matt Smith (10-1, 1.05 ERA in 1996). Smith had 97 strikeouts in 67 innings. Jason VanMeetren, Travis Saninger and Paul Wurts also will see time on the mound.
      Shortstop Curt Anthony (.600, 7 home runs), the Southern Conference Player of the Year, and center fielder John Didier (.465) graduated, leaving holes in the offense and defense.
      VanMeetren will move from left field to shortstop to replace Anthony, and Didier will be replaced by his younger brother Nick, along with Dane Ball.
      Ball, who will hit third, leads the offense along with third baseman Nino Mantico, a first-team all-conference selection at designated hitter.
      -- DURANGO (10-4, 25-8) -- Doxey (9-1, 1.21 ERA), Webb (8-3, 2.36) and Aiello (7-4, 2.54) will make things tough on opposing batters and keep the Trailblazers in games.
      "Our pitching is going to be our focal point," Durango coach Mike Gomez said. "The things that are question marks are rebuilding some of our defensive losses."
      Durango lost shortstop Kenny Sarna (Creighton) and center fielder Ryan Ludwick (UNLV) to graduation. The Trailblazers also will be without two-year starting catcher Bob Amerine for at least the first half of the season because of injury.
      "That's three key losses for us up the middle, so defensively we have some question marks," Gomez said.
      -- CIMARRON-MEMORIAL (7-7, 18-9) -- Another team hit hard by graduation, the Spartans have three seniors: third baseman Chris Martinez, shortstop Gavin Gosz and second baseman Jeff Zipser.
      "We've got a lot of young kids," Cimarron coach Calvin Valvo said. "We're not going to be as good as we've been the last couple of years. It is most definitely a rebuilding year."
      -- SILVERADO (7-7, 14-12) -- The Skyhawks will be one of the more experienced teams with nine seniors and three juniors.
      Senior center fielder Sean Tsukamoto and senior pitchers Michael O'Rourke and Jason Johnson lead the way.
      Despite the experience, the Skyhawks will be young at the middle infield positions, where freshmen Ryan Ruiz and Joe Wickman will start.
      -- CHEYENNE (5-9, 11-15) -- The Desert Shields should be a powerful offensive team, led by senior right fielder Josh Laidlaw (.534), a first-team all-conference pick.
      Also back to help lead the offense is first baseman James Bertuccini, a second-team all-conference pick as a designated hitter.
      -- BONANZA (3-11, 9-15) -- First-year coach Kort Miner will need strong leadership from his six seniors, led by center fielder Jon Strong and first baseman Dustin Huffman.
      -- CLARK (2-12, 3-18) -- Another team with a first-year coach, Dave Soto, the Chargers look to improve on last year's last-place finish.