Jesuit: No. 2 in Preseason Xcellent 25 Baseball Rankings

Toughest opponents: Jesuit will be severely tested by a brutal four-game home stretch in early March against perennial Florida powers, beginning with Florida Class 5A state runner-up Lakeland (March 3). Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, Fla.) will be looking for revenge March 7 after Jesuit's one-run victory in a regional semifinal playoff game last season. Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.), which visits Tampa on March 14, missed the playoffs last season but is three years removed from a state championship and two years from a state final appearance. Capping what shapes up to be a pivotal span on March 17 is Gulliver Prep (Miami), a region finalist in 2011. The Jesuit Easter Tournament (April 10-13) will attract Catholic teams from around the nation to Paul Straub Field at Hyer Family Park, Jesuit's year-old, $2 million, 500-seat baseball facility. Backyard rival Tampa Catholic (home Feb. 25; away March 31) always provides a heated challenge in the regular season, although Jesuit swept both games last season.

Local outlook: Jesuit was 12-0 in 2011 against current district opponents, winning by a total margin of 129-12, so advancing to the regional playoff knockout stage should be a foregone conclusion. The region also sets up nicely for Jesuit following redistricting in Florida during the offseason. The only apparent team capable of preventing the Tigers from reaching the state tournament is Dunedin, which last year knocked off Jesuit 8-7 in the regular season.

Overall outlook: Few teams nationally can match the quality and depth of pitching Jesuit will field this season, and it starts with the ace righthander McCullers, who is ranked the nation's No. 1 2012 draft prospect by some publications. Provided the rotation stays healthy and the bats don't fall asleep in the playoffs, Jesuit is the odds-on favorite to capture its first Florida state title since 2000 and fourth overall.

Coach quote: "I think offensively we're pretty balanced. We have some guys that have legitimate power. We have guys that have gap-to-gap power. We have singles and bunt and move over guys. So we're pretty balanced one through nine. Then we have a heck of a bench. This is probably the most depth and probably the most talented team that we've had here in a long time."
– Richie Warren