Mark Rogers and his 98 MPH fastball no longer loom over Eastern Class A baseball, so things will look a little different at the top of the KVAC. Oxford Hills, a perennial contender, is joined by Gardiner as the favorites. Beyond that duo, one could almost draw the names of the playoff contenders out of a hat. Rebuilding Cony is the most likely candidate to slide back in the pack, while Skowhegan and Messalonskee, with more pitching depth than most, appear to be good candidates to move up. Mt. Blue, like Cony, lost a lot of experience but should still be solid. Leavitt was hit even harder by graduation. Lewiston could contend for a playoff spot with experienced pitching and more timely hitting expected. Edward Little could return to the playoffs if its pitching develops.

In Class B, it’s a new era at Oak Hill, with Chad Drouin taking over for Bill Fairchild in the dugout and eight new starters in the lineup. The Raiders still have a surplus of pitching and should contend with MCI, Winslow and Mt. View.

Team Capsules

Edward Little

Last year: 6-11; lost in Eastern A preliminary.

Outlook: The Red Eddies lost more than a half-dozen players, but still have an experienced nucleus and some talented newcomers from the JV that are blending in well. Seniors Brian Erickson, Matt Nadeau and Robie Leighton and junior Justin Ciszewski will lead the offense. While no one on the pitching staff stands out right now, they have a lot of arms that coach Scott Annear can turn to over the course of the season. The pitchers should throw strikes, because they have a solid defense behind them. Annear also likes the versatility on his roster.

Leavitt

Last year: 7-10; lost in Eastern A preliminary.

Outlook: The Hornets have three regular contributors from last year back, including one starter. The pitching staff is particularly green, with Chris Brewer and Adam Sawyer the only ones with varsity experience. Those two and Brian Metayer will make up the heart of the order that hopes to improve its production over last year, when the Hornets struggled to score runs.

Lewiston

Last year: 6-10; did not qualify for the playoffs.

Outlook: The Blue Devils bring back a solid rotation in Luke Potter, Zack Timmermeyer and Nick Langlais, and the offense, led by Potter and Brian Nason, could be better than it has been in a while. The key will be getting the defense, including an infield that is almost entirely rebuilt, to make plays behind the pitching and keep the pressure off the offense. Head coach Don King thinks his team will be able to win some of the close games that hurt them last year.

Mt. Blue

Last year: 12-6; lost in Eastern A quarterfinals.

Outlook: The Cougars lost seven starters, which leaves them with some question marks in the pitching staff and defense. Adam Wallace, Steve Wells and Nick Tibbetts lead the mound corps. Wells, Tibbetts and Wallace make up the heart of the batting order as well. The infield is solid, led by Wells and Jordan Stevens. Other than centerfielder John Moloney, the outfield has had some trouble making plays in preseason.

Oxford Hills

Last year: 14-4; lost in Eastern A semifinals.

Outlook: The Vikings are being mentioned as co-favorites along with Gardiner, but like most teams in the conference, they have some question marks on their pitching staff. Matt McDonnell is the ace, and Corey Saunders will team with him to give them a solid 1-2. Beyond that, someone will have to emerge from a group of five that includes Alex Waite and Ben Ryerson for the No. 3 spot. The defense, particularly up the middle with Russell Estes catching, Kyle Keniston at short and McDonnell in centerfield, is solid. The lineup is deep and should be among the most productive in the conference again.

Oak Hill

Last year: 16-2; lost in Western B semifinals.

Outlook: Chad Drouin takes over for Bill Fairchild, the only coach in the school’s history, and the Raiders have a lot of other changes, too – a half-dozen starters graduated and the pitching staff has been virtually revamped. Still, they do have a good deal of pitching depth, topped by Mike Eaton, Wally Rines, Justin Plourde and lefty Josh Jillson. The lineup doesn’t have a lot of power but should be able to manufacture runs by putting the ball in play and utilizing its good team speed.