BASEBALL POLL HELPS WARM UP JANUARY

It's not yet February, but it's not too early to talk some baseball.

A handful of area baseball teams appeared in the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association preseason poll.

Last year's Class 1A state champion, St. Vincent, garnered the top spot in 1A. The Indians return several key components of last year's surprise team, including all-state catcher Ryan Brown and all-state pitchers Tyler Wengert and Derek Kutz.

But the Indians could face a battle in districts as a sophomore-oriented Oran squad will boast plenty of talent. Oran was positioned sixth in the preseason poll.

Cape Central, which advanced to the 4A quarterfinals last year, is tied with Pattonville for 10th in the poll. The Tigers return a solid nucleus of players and their pitching could be better than it was last year.

In Class 2A, Chaffee is ranked ninth. The Red Devils return some bats most noticeably G.P. Glueck and one of the most promising hurlers in the state in Matt Stroup. Notre Dame, which made it to the final four the last two years but lost almost its entire starting unit, is not ranked.

The complete preseason poll can be found in Scoreboard.

Promising future

Cape Central's junior high basketball teams are giving the Tiger basketball program a sense of optimism.

With the varsity team struggling, neither the eighth-grade nor the ninth-grade teams have lost in 22 games.

Central's talented ninth-grade team stands at 16-0 after winning the Jackson Tournament Saturday. The eighth-grade team is 6-0.

Wrestling districts

Jackson High School will be the host of the 2001 Class 4A, District 1 wrestling tournament next Saturday.

Among the schools competing will be Cape Central, Fox, Mehlville, Northwest, Oakville, Poplar Bluff and Seckman.