In predicted order of finish:

Avocado League

1. La Costa Canyon (Coach: Justin Machado. Last year: 23-10, 9-3 third in league)

At a glance: LHP Max MacNabb (6-1, 1.27 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 55 innings) and C Will Swanner (.337, 8 HR, 33 RBIs) head a star-studded cast. MacNabb is headed to the University of San Diego next season while Swanner and his brother, RHP Michael Swanner (3-4, 3.23 ERA), are headed to Pepperdine. SS Phillip Evans (.355), who was a second-team all-league pick, returns along with IFs Bobby Zalud (.295) and Kevin Hill (.303), OF Kyle Durrschmidt, C/IF Matt Hall and OF Jivomir Siarov.

2. Torrey Pines (Coach: Matt Chess. Last year: 22-10, 12-3 first)

At a glance: It should be a battle royale for the league title with the Falcons battling La Costa Canyon to the wire. LHP Joey DeNato (7-1, 3.41 ERA, 78 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings) was the league's pitcher of the year and has signed to play at Indiana. He also hit .390. LHP Cole Swanson (7-1, 2.89 ERA) returns. He has signed with San Diego State. RHP/1B Josh Sabourin (.408, 31 RBI) was a first-team all-league selection. Also back are C/SS Garrett Stubbs, OFs Evan Mason and Zach Zehner, C Ryan Lischer and RHP/1B Andrew Goodman.

3. San Pasqual (Coach: Tony Colantono. Last year: 12-16, 6-9 fourth)

At a glance: RHP/3B Stevie Carr was a first-team all-league pick last season. Hard-throwing RHP/C Dominic Lemus is also back, giving the Eagles a great one-two punch. Carr and Lemus will hit third and fourth in the lineup. 1B Matt Aeling, C/OF Alex Wick, RHP/OF Jay Haragos, 1B Nick Lee and sophomore 2B Will Colantono all return. RHP/OF Connor Heavir and RHP Paul Drucker should help.

4. Mission Hills (Coach: Ken Putnam. Last year: 22-8, 11-4 second)

At a glance: Nine players return from last year's second-place club. IF River Stevens (.437) was a second-team All-CIF pick. RHP/IF Robbie Rocamora (3.89 ERA, 63 strikeouts) will be the No. 1 starter. OFs Corey Suzujawa and Aaron Salas and C/IFs Jon Putnam and Reid Anderson give the Grizzlies a solid base.

5. Fallbrook (Coach: Jesse Schuveiller. Last year: 6-22, 4-11 fifth)

At a glance: After a couple of down years, the Warriors appear to be on the way back with RHP Chase Johnson, who missed last season with tendinitis, and second-team all-league picks OF Tyler Wedeking and RHP/IF Conner Cox leading the way. 1B Cole Chandler, two-year starter LHP/OF Vaughn Berberet, C/IF Zach Rico, SS Ernest Avila and 2B Donnie Gingrich all return.

6. Escondido (Coach: Steve Afenir. Last year: 9-19, 3-12 sixth)

At a glance: The Cougars boast SS Tim Zier (.421, 11 doubles, 29 steals). A first-team all-league pick, Zier has signed to play at San Diego State. Audie Afenir will switch to catcher after three years as an infielder.

Palomar League

1. Poway (Coach: Bob Parry. Last year: 28-7, 12-3 first)

At a glance: The defending CIF San Diego Section Division I champions are ranked No. 12 in the nation by MaxPreps to start this season and No. 2 in the state by CalHi Sports. RHP Keegan Yuhl (13-1, 2.79 ERA), a first-team All-CIF selection and the league's pitcher of the year, is back along with Chad Smith to anchor the pitching staff. Seven top position players return. The leader is 1B Josh Anderson (.474, 7 HR, 37 RBIs). Connor Joe (.406) moves to SS. C/IF Dillon Dooney (.366, 29 RBI) is back, along with CF Brett Thomas (.378, 35 runs), OF/RHP Trevin Lipe (.347), IF/RHP Evan Thomas and OF Grant Behic. Anderson was a first-team All-CIF selection while Dooney was first-team all-league and Joe was second team. Yuhl and Anderson have committed to play at San Diego State while Behic has committed to UC Riverside. Juniors Andrew Dages, Chad Etchison and Jordan Goodwin will be counted on to contribute on the mound.

2. Rancho Buena Vista (Coach: Leo Fletes. Last year: 24-11, 9-6 second)

At a glance: The Longhorns, who are ranked No. 14 in the nation by Baseball America and No. 4 in the state by CalHi Sports, lost a one-run decision to Poway in last year's CIF Division I title game and will challenge the Titans again. SS Tony Wolters (.377) was a second-team All-CIF pick and is headed to USD. LHP Anthony McIver is headed to Notre Dame, RHP/OF Reed Reznicek is on his way to Indiana and IF Jimmy Allen (.387, 28 RBI) is going to Cal Poly. IF Jake Stinnett (.368) was a first-team all-league pick last season. Also back and expected to start are IF Kody Marshall, C Kalen Pimentel and OF Royce Copeland. The top newcomers are RHP Dylan DeMeyer, OF Wyler Smith and IF Chase Puente.

3. Vista (Coach: Rick Lepire. Last year: 25-12, 6-9 fourth)

At a glance: Ranked No. 10 in the state, the Panthers are picked to finish third in a very tough league. Speedy OF Jordan Alexander, who is headed to UC Irvine, heads the list of returnees. IF Scott Collins (.365, 32 RBIs) was a first-team all-league pick, OF/C Larry East (.418) was a second-teamer and IF Tyler Threw (.370) returns. C Derek Irwin, IF Canaan Knapp, RHP Chris Luichan and LHP Parker Perez are the other returners.

4. Rancho Bernardo (Coach: Sam Blalock. Last year: 24-11, 11-4 second)

At a glance: Picking the Broncos this low seems insane, but this is one of the toughest leagues in the country. CalHi Sports has Rancho Bernardo ranked No. 15 in the state. C Brad Haynal (.402, 9 HR, 31 RBIs) was a first-team All-CIF selection and is headed to San Diego State. RHP/1B Trevor Williams (8-3, 2.74 ERA) was a second-team all-league pick and is headed to Arizona State. Plus, he hit .370. OF/LHP Max Homick (.404) is also back, along with 1B/OF Brandon Berry (.387).

5. Carlsbad

(Coach: Chris Greene. Last year: 11-17, 5-10 fifth)

At a glance: In any other league in the county, the Lancers would probably be picked to win as they return seven position starters and all their pitchers. The returning starters include 1B/LHP Steven Bunnell, 2B/RHP Callan Dawson, a second-team all-leaguer, 3B Brent Bjordal, RHP/C Justin Hepner, RHP/C Shane Johnson and OFs Josh Walker, Austin Marshall and Spencer Hardy. Cody Cross and Dylan Doherty are back to bolster the pitching staff. Sophomore Austin Avan is the SS.

6. El Camino (Coach: Joe Gonzales. Last year: 11-18, 2-13 sixth)

At a glance: The Wildcats have some talented players, but, as Gonzales said, "the top four teams in the county are in our league." C/3B Daniel Brooks (6 HRs, 20 RBIs) is among the leaders. He's joined by returnees OF Joe Daris (.310), 2B Travis Liyama, LHP/1B Craig Larwood and RHP Kiel Jindra. RHP/SS Dillon Navarro will be one of the top pitchers.

Valley League

1. Ramona (Coach: Dean Welch. Last year: 17-11, 8-4 second)

At a glance: Cody Willingham, who was 8-3 with a 2.91 ERA and the league's pitcher of the year last season, returns to anchor a rotation that includes Erik Ernst, Jason Snodgrass and freshman Beau Sulser. The Bulldogs return three players who hit .360 or better -- C Alex Willeford (.360) and IFs Jackson Willeford (.362) and second-team all-league pick Brady Wilson (.336). OF Blake Drake appears poised for a big season.

2. Oceanside (Coach: Dave Barrett. Last year: 12-17, 6-6 fourth)

At a glance: The Pirates return a ton of starters, headlined by SS/OF King Holder, who hit .418 with six homers, 31 runs scored and 18 steals last season. LHP/OF Aaron Siligia is a two-way threat, hitting .389 last season with 19 steals and he anchored the pitching staff, throwing 60 1/3 innings. Holder and Siligia were both first-team all-league picks. LHP Mike Robards, who threw 47 2/3 innings, is back as is second-team all-leaguer OF/LHP Matt Sullivan (10 steals), IF Joe Mascarenez (8 steals) and OF/LHP Steve Minor.

3. Westview (Coach: Beau Champoux. Last year: 18-13, 10-2 first)

At a glance: Graduation robbed the Wolverines of a number of top players, but P/OF Jake Broesemer, P/3B Devin Garrett, SS Zach McCoy and C/1B Christian Carter return. Freshman IF Vince Mori should be a big addition.

4. San Marcos (Coach: Jeff Dufek. Last year: 12-14, 6-6 fourth)

At a glance: The Knights have two big arms returning in RHPs William Munro (86 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings) and Sebastian Vader. Munro was a first-team all-leaguer while Vader was second team. C Nick Berkelo, SS/RHP Ryan Bruce, 1B/RHP Steven Fisher and LHP Tyler Williams also return. Look for big things from C/RHP Noel Garcia, OF Tyler Karros and 1B/LHP Nick Pogue.

5. Mt. Carmel (Coach: Chachi Mueller. Last year: 9-17, 5-7 fifth)

At a glance: The Sundevils have a nice core of returnees and could jump two spots. RHPs Wes Courtney (3-2, 4.67 ERA) and Evan Taylor (2-3, 4.68 ERA) anchor the staff with newcomers Christian Misthos and Brian Low expected to contribute. Andrew McComb (.333) is back at 1B, Nick Ibanez (.282, 11 steals), SS Wes Wallace (.337, 6 HRs, 28 RBIs), C/DH Kenny James-Sansone (.410, 4 HR, 17 RBIs) and 2B Christoph Ludwig (.360, 2 HR, 13 RBIs) all return. James-Sansone was a second-team all-leaguer.

6. Valley Center (Coach: Cliff Bernard. Last year: 13-14, 7-5 third)

At a glance: The Jaguars return just three key players -- CF Stanton Upson (.320), C Patrick Preston and 2B Colton Campbell. The pitching needs to be rebuilt around hard-throwing Eric Brothers, sophomore Patrick Rindone and senior Cody Beukleman. The left side of the infield could be sophomore SS Tommy Aguilar and 3B Ricky Eldridge. OF Shonta Chaloux could be a sleeper.

7. Orange Glen (Coach: Sam Kristensen. Last year: 2-23, 0-12 seventh)

At a glance: Four seniors -- SS/RHP Eric Cruz, IF/RHP Brian Kaye, OF/C Austin Bowers and 1B/RHP Travis Patterson -- are the anchors of a team that is rebuilding around a core group of talented freshmen and sophomores.

Other schools

In alphabetical order

Army-Navy (Coach: Jeff Doyle. Last year: 6-11)

At a glance: Greg Elliott, perhaps the best athlete in the school, was injured in football and won't play baseball this season. The Warriors will rely on Ali Khan, a much-improved Mario Fernandez, Engelo Sanchez, Max Randall, William Walsh and Brandon Montes.

Calvary-Christian (Coach: Steve Whitley. Last year: 10-11)

At a glance: Bryan Cimino (.615) was the top hitter in North County last year. Russell Harmening will step in as the No. 1 pitcher with help from Brock Bentley and David Flores.

Calvin Christian (Coach: Frank Bons. Last year: 9-11-1)

At a glance: The Crusaders return five players -- RHP/3B JT Medin, RHP/OF James Visser, C/SS Jake Bons, RHP/SS David Estelle and RHP/1B Brandon Medin.

Canyon Crest Academy (Coach: Ryan Sienko. Last year: 11-13-1)

At a glance: C Chris Bianchi and RHP/3B Matt Malott top the returnees. RHP Cory Osetkowski, who stands 6-foot-9, and OF James Stafford are the top newcomers.

Cathedral Catholic (Coach: Gary Remiker. Last year: 26-6)

At a glance: The Dons must replace nine seniors, but they return three top-notch players in OF/1B Casey Munoz (.483), LHP/OF Daniel Camarena and LHP Danny Tyson. Munoz has signed with Oklahoma State, Camarena has committed to USD in 2011 and Tyson has signed with Northwestern. The top newcomers are IF Nick Fornaca, OF/RHP Nick Garbella and IF Eric Sapp.

Escondido Charter (Coach: Myron Stock. Last year: 11-15)

At a glance: No information reported.

Guajome Park Academy (Coach: Timothy Leung. Last year: 3-14)

At a glance: The Frogs' roster includes three senior, five juniors, four sophomores and six freshmen.

Maranatha Christian (Coach: Phil Thompson. Last year: 12-10)

At a glance: Christian Harper could emerge as the team's top hitter while Derek Olson and Eric Weatherford will provide depth on the mound.

San Dieguito Academy (Coach: Dennis Koolhaas. Last year: 16-11)

At a glance: The Mustangs return four players -- OFs Alex Scheiwe (27 SBs), Ben Kiolbasa (.469) and Max Hardman (.397, 16 SBs) and SS John Cox. C Niko Gilligan is the top newcomer.

Santa Fe Christian (Coach: Don Mitchell. Last year: 21-8)

At a glance: With nine key players back, the Eagles appear to be loaded. Heading the list is Coast League North MVP RHP/1B Nolan Gannon (7-1, 0.90 ERA, 83 strikeouts in 62 1/3 IP). SS Bobby Zarubin (.448, 2 HRs, 24 RBIs, 14 SBs) was a first-team all-league pick as was RHP Luc DeWolf (8-4, 2.61 ERA). Zarubin is out until April as he recovers from a knee injury. C/3B Josh Estill (.414, 2 HR, 30 RBIs) was a second-team all-leaguer as was IF Ethan Ogden (.383, 19 RBIs). Also back are OF Trevyn Reese (.326), C/OF Cal Roberts (.391), OF Barrett Floyd (.333, 16 RBI) and LHP Graham Gomez (3-0, 0.69 ERA). Newcomers 3B/SS Cade Gotta, a senior transfer, freshman RHP/3B John Gamble, sophomore transfer IF Mitchell Stehly and IF Jackson Balla are the top newcomers. DeWulf, Reese, Ogden and Gotta are all being recruited.

Tri-City Christian (Coach: Ken Bouchard. Last year: 16-11)

At a glance: Daniel Callewaert, who is a threat on the mound and at the plate, Paul Keating, Kevin Giese and Mark Riendeau figure to be the leaders.

-- John Maffei

This article has been modified to correct the name of Mission Hills baseball player Reid Anderson. He was incorrectly identified as Reid Adams.