STATE APPROVED: SPRINGS, SANTA FE RANKED AMONG TOP BASEBALL TEAMS

BOTH CLEAR SPRINGS and Santa Fe open the high school baseball regular season among the top 20 teams in the Diamond Pro/Txhighschoolbaseball.com preseason polls leading into Monday’s lid-lifters across the state.
Coming off a 26-12-2 season that saw them advance to the 6A, Region III semifinals, the Chargers, ranked 17th in the 6A poll, bring back four starters under coach Chris Floyd. Among the returning veterans are shortstop Michael Cervantes and second baseman/pitcher Mason Schultz, both of whom are already committed to play collegiately. Cervantes, entering his senior year, will play at Louisiana-Monroe, while Schultz has committed to play at Sam Houston State once he graduates two years from now.
Floyd will also have the services of senior third baseman/designated hitter Cameron Cooper and junior outfielder Chase Arnaud.
Santa Fe comes in ranked 14th in the 5A poll as coach Ronnie Wulf enters the season just 15 wins shy of 500 career victories. Expect him to hit the milestone at some point this spring behind a team which welcomes back four starters from a 25-13 squad that won District 23-5A last year.
The Indians are a mixture of youth and experience, with all-district pitcher Rome Schubert among the veterans on the staff. Schubert, a junior, will also see time at shortstop and third base. Versatile Gregory Adams enters his junior season as part of the starting pitching staff along with the ability to play both the infield and outfield.
Fellow juniors Grant Pfaff and Dalton Stevens are also returning starters who can be moved around where Wulf needs them. Pfaff will play catcher and third base, while Stevens will both pitch and play first base.