Gil's picks are spot on. I believe the general consensus will be for Cheney to repeat as GNL champs. They are my preseason #1 pick. They have the most proven pitching coming into the season and this program has risen to playoff level as we witnessed last season. Lowe is definitely a player to watch, but this is not a one man team.
I also believe most would pick West Valley to be on Cheney's heels. The wildcard with WV is how the pitching develops - that appears to be the same wildcard with most of the GNL teams this season. WV, as they usually do, will score a lot of runs. Many of the same athletes that played on the state runner up football team are on the baseball roster: Clausen, Peterson, Funk and Peckham. WV will have a deep combination of speed and power in their lineup.
The Pullman and Clarkston programs are always in the playoff hunt. Expect both of these teams to notch quality wins and have their sights set on the league title.
Deer Park rose to prominence last season. They will be solid again this season with the return of their top pitcher and their best all around player in Alex Wolf. The question is how deep is their pitching after Wolf and do their bats develop enough to contend for a playoff spot?
Colville is a dark horse. They have a strong underclass but are realistically a couple years away from being in the title hunt. If everything goes well they have a shot at one of the 3 berths the GNL gets to the state playoffs this season.
Both Medical Lake and Riverside have low enrollment numbers and that fact makes it very difficult to field a playoff calibur team. Neither of these teams will roll over. They will play hard and show a lot of heart. It will be a monumental challenge for either of these teams to overcome their lack of numbers due to school size.
I see four teams that will contend for the GNL title (Cheney, WV, Pullman and Clarkston). I see 6 teams that will content for the 3 state berths (add Deer Park and Colville).
