Here’s what you need to know for the 2025 high school baseball season in the Baltimore area:

Storylines to watch

Can Spalding make it four in a row?:The Cavaliers have been in dynasty mode as of late, capturing three straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference titles for the second time in school history. In fact, Spalding, which claimed the league crown in 2014, 2015 and 2016, could join two-time runner-up Calvert Hall as the only squad to win four straight league crowns. The Cardinals, who accomplished that feat from 2005 to 2008, will likely be the main challenger, having returned all but one starter from last year’s 20-win season. John Carroll, with a wealth of talent that is paced by Casey Carpenter, will also be in the mix for the A Conference crown.

The B Conference could be wide-open with defending champion St. Mary’s boasting top pitcher Brian Sands, 2023 champion McDonogh featuring a solid pitching staff and Severn possessing the dynamic duo of University of Richmond commit Caden Blanck and Fletcher Warner.The C Conference looks wide-open. The player to watch is Concordia Prep junior catcher Jonathan Couser, who batted a sizzling .720 with 10 doubles, six home runs and 26 RBIs in conference play a year ago.

Another logjam in a deep Anne Arundel County: Annapolis coach Charles Heward probably put it best when asked who was the favorite to capture the county crown: “It’s always Severna Park until it isn’t. They have proven year in and year out that they are the team to beat.” That said, Chesapeake had the best finish of any public school squad in Anne Arundel County in 2024 as the ever-competitive Cougars, who return the highly productive Dylan Adams, reached the 3A state final before bowing out to Montgomery County’s Magruder. The Falcons return a handful of key players from last year’s 18-4 county championship squad.

Broadneck, the 2023 county champions who are led by catcher Nick Cicale and ace pitcher and first baseman Noah Forman, and South River, paced by shortstop-pitcher Nolan Hooker, should also be in the mix for county and region titles. Northeast and Crofton, a 4A state semifinalist in 2024, have also garnered a lot of buzz from county coaches.

Could there be a new sheriff in the Baltimore County race?: It has been 23 years since Parkville captured a regional crown, but seventh-year coach Joe Daddura believes that he boasts “one of the best teams Parkville has had in a while” and one that should challenge for the region championship after falling by a run to Perry Hall a year ago. The Panthers will once again be in contention for county and regional titles while Towson has garnered several votes to be a heavy contender for the Baltimore County crown along with Dulaney, Hereford and Catonsville.

Anthony Ross hopes to continue the New Town program’s resurrection with a young roster featuring junior pitcher-shortstop-catcher Richard Peace. The Titans compiled a 15-1 record last spring. Sparrows Point coach Marc Kline (125-38 record) will look to win the program’s seventh straight regional crown, but he will do so with only two returning starters.

Actually, you can go home again: Several years after starting on the football and baseball teams at Glenelg, AJ Rosenthal returns to the school as the varsity baseball coach, bringing college experience after stints at Salisbury and Frostburg State.

“I love being back at GHS and just being on the ball field every day reminds me of the great memories I had as a player on the diamond,” said Rosenthal, whose fondest memories include a 15-strikeout complete game against Howard to start his senior season.

He inherits a Gladiators squad that went 18-4 a year ago and reached the Class 2A state final.

“I hope to one day have half the legacy at Glenelg baseball that he has created,” Rosenthal said of former Glenelg varsity and current junior varsity coach Tom Thrasher.

Is Liberty ‘Inch’-ing its way back to the top of Carroll County?: Paced by the veteran threesome of shortstop Nate Martin, first baseman-pitcher Braden Chubb and third baseman-pitcher Carter Shanks, the Travis Inch-led Lions look to be one of the favorites to capture another Carroll County title and perhaps another regional crown. Century, guided by senior outfielder-pitcher Chase Speiden (.462 batting average), and Westminster are Liberty’s top challengers.

Patterson Mill had one of the more memorable postseason runs in 2024, coming up a game short of winning the 1A state crown. Another run will have to be fueled by a young squad that features just three seniors. Perennial Harford County heavyweights Fallston and C. Milton Wright will look to build on last year’s solid campaigns.

Players to watch

Dylan Adams, Chesapeake-AA, junior, pitcher:The Cougars reached the Class 3A state championship game a year ago, and Adams was a major reason with his performance on the mound (6-2, 1.80 ERA) and at the plate (.383 BA, three home runs, 27 RBIs).

Colton Bordick, Boys’ Latin, senior, first baseman and pitcher: Bordick, a three-time all-conference performer, earned MIAA B Conference Athlete of the Year honors after batting a sizzling .464 with four home runs and 23 RBIs for the Lakers.

Casey Carpenter, John Carroll, senior, infielder: Carpenter headlines a talented Patriots squad as the University of North Carolina Wilmington commit produced a .375 batting average, five home runs and 21 RBIs a year ago. The hard-hitting infielder was even more clutch with runners in scoring position, batting over .400 for the season in such situations.

Sam Houchens, Spalding, senior, pitcher and outfielder: One of several key returning players from last year’s MIAA A three-peat, Houchens produced a .436 batting average while going 3-0 with a pair of saves on the mound.

Nathan Wines, Spalding, senior, pitcher: With the exit of Jake Yeager to the University of Maryland, Wines takes the mantle as the ace of the staff. Wines seems more than capable of shouldering that load, having produced a 6-0 record with a 2.76 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 43 innings in 2024.

Nick Bilotto, Glenelg, senior, pitcher: The Gladiators reached the 2A state final a year ago, and Bilotto was one of the main reasons as he went 7-1 with a 1.02 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 53 strikeouts in 41 innings.

Nick Cicale, Broadneck, senior, catcher: The preseason all-state selection batted .315 with a .400 on-base percentage, five doubles, a home run and 22 RBIs for the Bruins last year.

Will Rhine, John Carroll, senior, shortstop: This University of Alabama commit looks to rebound from an injury-plagued junior season in his final campaign with the Patriots. As a sophomore, he batted .386 with three home runs and 35 RBIs.

Aiden West, Long Reach, senior, shortstop: This slick-fielding shortstop and North Carolina State commit produced a .426 batting average with five extra-base hits, 11 RBIs and 13 stolen bases last year.

Nathan Rodriguez, Calvert Hall, senior, pitcher and designated hitter: Rodriguez, a preseason all-state selection, was a two-way threat for the Cardinals in 2024, batting .353 while going 7-2 on the mound.

Preseason Top 15 poll

1. Spalding

Coach: Joe Palumbo

Last season: 27-5 overall, ranked No. 1

Postseason: MIAA A Conference champion

Outlook: The Cavaliers do not rebuild; they simply reload. After losing The Baltimore Sun’s 2024 All-Metro Player of the Year in Jake Yeager, Spalding boasts Nathan Wines to go along with five other Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches preseason all-state selections in Sam Houchens, Peyton Mamula, Braeden Martin, Brayden Robinson and Arian Vargas.

2. John Carroll

Coach: Darrion Siler

Last season: 14-10, No. 15

Postseason: None

Outlook: A year after falling back in the MIAA A Conference standings, the Patriots look poised to join Calvert Hall as the main challengers to dethrone Spalding as they boast one of the area’s most talented squads. Casey Carpenter (UNCW) and Will Rhine (Alabama) are standouts who will continue playing once their high school careers end.

3. Calvert Hall

Coach: Brooks Kerr

Last season: 19-12, No. 2

Postseason: MIAA A Conference finalist

Outlook: After falling just short of capturing the program’s first MIAA A Conference crown since 2019 in the past two spring campaigns, the Cardinals hope to complete the mission this year behind a very seasoned squad led by veterans Will Haacke (James Madison), Travis Peitz (George Washington), Peter Bahore (St. Joseph’s), Nathan Rodriguez and Tom Pilarski (Gettysburg), among others.

4. Chesapeake-AA

Coach: Jeff Young

Last season: 16-7, No. 4

Postseason: Class 3A state finalist

Outlook: Young’s squad nearly won its second state title in three years before falling to Magruder in the 3A state final. If the Cougars are to duplicate last year’s success, they will need another strong all-around performance from Dylan Adams along with veteran outfielders Lucas Slayton and Jimmy Dreyer and infielder Sean Carroll.

5. Loyola Blakefield

Coach: Michael Kelly

Last season: 12-11, No. 8

Postseason: MIAA A Conference semifinalist

Outlook: The Dons snared the final spot in last year’s MIAA A Conference playoffs and, according to many of Kelly’s fellow league coaches, look poised to take the next step and challenge for the league crown. Joe Nottingham, a 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher committed to Georgia, is a big reason.

6. Glenelg

Coach: AJ Rosenthal

Last season: 18-4, No. 3

Postseason: Class 2A state finalist

Outlook: Rosenthal returns to his alma mater to guide a Gladiators squad that is solid up the middle and on the mound behind the likes of Nick Bilotto, Blake Bourne, Mason Melhuish and Jake Miles.

7. Severna Park

Coach: Eric Milton

Last season: 18-4, No. 6

Postseason: Class 3A East Region I finalist

Outlook: The Falcons captured the highly competitive Anne Arundel County title last spring but fell short of a fourth straight appearance in the state tournament. With a good mix of returning players, including Adam Clark and Eric Benner, and talented newcomers, Severna Park should challenge for county, regional and state titles this spring.

8. Curley

Coach: Joe Gaeta

Last season: 20-11, No. 5

Postseason: MIAA A Conference semifinalist

Outlook: The Friars graduated seven starters, but Gaeta believes that his squad will reload with a talented junior class. Curley also boasts a strong battery combination in right-handed pitcher Owen Shaprow (UMBC) and catcher Chase Bandy (West Liberty).

9. Liberty

Coach: Travis Inch

Last season: 16-5, not ranked

Postseason: Class 1A state quarterfinalist

Outlook: The Lions have been blessed with some of Carroll County’s best players in recent seasons, and that won’t change this year with the return of talented veterans Nate Martin (.349 BA, 22 RBIs) and Braeden Chubb (.373 BA).

10. Mt. Hebron

Coach: Aaron Wilson

Last season: 14-2, not ranked

Postseason: Class 3A South Region I finalist

Outlook: Wilson said that his squad “will definitely have a target on our back in 2025” as the defending Howard County champions. Not to worry, though, as the Vikings return several quality veterans, including Alex Swan (.333, 12 RBIs), Colin Friedman (.367, 15 RBIs) and Luke Evans (.317, 16 RBIs).

11. Crofton

Coach: Brooks Miller

Last season: 15-9, No. 9

Postseason: Class 4A state semifinalist

Outlook: The Cardinals enter the season with some good news and some bad news. The good news is that a handful of veteran players, including Billy White (.343, 16 RBIs) and Greg Frey (.333), return to form a strong defensive squad that will also be aggressive on the base paths. The bad news? Crofton graduated its top two pitchers.

12. Perry Hall

Coach: Joseph Carlineo

Last season: 13-8, No. 11

Postseason: Class 4A state quarterfinalist

Outlook: The Panthers have won back-to-back regional crowns and Carlineo believes that this year’s squad could make it three in a row. Leading that charge back to the state tournament will be Gavin Rayner, Cameron Cooke and Ryan Bruce.

13. River Hill

Coach: Craig Estrin

Last season: 16-6, not ranked

Postseason: Class 3A state quarterfinalist

Outlook: The Hawks ended Sherwood’s two-year championship run to capture the 3A South Region II crown last year, and a repeat performance could be in the works with several veteran starters returning, including seasoned catcher Anderson Dang (Washington and Lee) and third baseman-outfielder Ryan Walsh. River Hill, however, will have to cope with the departure of do-everything pitcher Henry Zatkowski (4-1, 0.17 ERA).

14. Severn

Coach: Zak Starr

Last season: 13-12, not ranked

Postseason: Fourth in MIAA B Conference

Outlook: The Admirals return a wealth of talent to make a run in a deep MIAA B Conference. Those returning veterans include left-handed pitcher Caden Blanck (Richmond), outfielder-pitcher Fletcher Warner (.444 BA, 30 R, 26 SB) and infielder Aiden Szydlik (Coast Guard).

15. Broadneck

Coach: Matt Skrenchuk

Last season: 15-5, not ranked

Postseason: Class 4A East Region II semifinalist

Outlook: The Bruins return seven starters and their entire pitching staff from last year’s 15-win squad. Noah Forman (8-2 record in 2024) as well as first-team preseason all-state selections Nick Cicale (Army) and Mike Swick (Frostburg State) headline those returning players.

Others considered: Centennial (13-5), Fallston (15-6), Hereford (14-9), Long Reach (10-9), Reservoir (10-9), St. Mary’s (21-4), Towson (15-3)

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13.