Perhaps it should come as no surprise, but the Bridgeport High School baseball team finds itself back in the preseason top 10 of the MetroNews Baseball Power Rankings. And perhaps also not surprising is that the Indians are ranked No. 1.

 

The Tribe, coming off their third straight Class AA state championship, were the top choice of 10 radio broadcasters and sports writers across West Virginia. BHS, however, was not a unanimous choice.

 

The Indians captured eight of the 10 first place votes. Wayne, which was ranked No. 2, received one first place vote, while No. 4 PikeView received the other.

 

Last year, the Tribe beat PikeView in the title game by a 9-4 score. The Indians lost a boatload of talent due to graduation, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be solid again.

 

Veteran Coach Robert Shields has already proven he can find ways to win and win big. Last year, he lost his two top returning starting pitchers in seniors Logan Smith and Jared Cleghorn for most of the season. Smith never pitched an inning and required shoulder surgery, while Cleghorn blew out his elbow during the season.

 

Despite that, the Tribe finished the season with a title and a 30-6 record. It was Bridgeport’s third-straight 30-win season.

 

The Indians will rely heavily on returning pitchers Brine Takahashi and Gordon Swiger. There are plenty of other talented players back, including infielder J.T. Harris.

 

BHS is one of two Big 10 teams ranked in the top 10. Elkins is ranked No. 10. Grafton, Liberty, Fairmont Senior and Lincoln are in the “also receiving votes” portion of the poll.

 

Rounding out the top five of the poll in Class AA is Chapmanville at No. 3 and Nitro at No. 5.

 

In Class A, South Harrison is ranked No. 8. Notre Dame is in the “receiving votes” part of the poll.

 

The season has already started for many teams. BHS is set to start the season March 30 with a road game at Liberty. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m.

 

Click HERE to see the entire rankings for all three classes.

 

Editor's Note: Photos by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.