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Montgomery County

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons  

2025 Record: 14-7
Key Departures: Trent Lopez, Will Adkinson, Henry Eichner, Bryan Doukouris

In a conference that saw a significant amount of talent graduate with the 2025 class, few teams were impacted more on the mound than BCC. The Barons lost their top three arms from last season, which makes the challenge of navigating their historically difficult region even tougher. The pitching staff now turns to senior Griffin Clear and junior Oren Wortman, two pitchers who will take on much larger roles after spending last season behind a talented senior group.

Offensively, BCC returns an experienced core highlighted by four seniors — leadoff hitter Jayson Cohen (Marymount), Alex Butler, Quest Vermillion, and Alex Shure. Cohen will be looked upon to serve as the vocal leader and help guide a roster that, while young, features plenty of talent.

Among that young group is an impressive sophomore class that may be one of the most talented in the state. George Cropp and Noah Hecht are familiar names after gaining valuable experience as freshmen a season ago. Another intriguing addition is sophomore transfer Jesse Orford, who arrives at BCC from Australia. A switch-hitting catcher, Orford has impressed over the past few months and could provide a true “diamond in the rough” bat in the middle of the order.

The biggest question for the Barons will be pitching depth. Cropp, Vermillion, and Orford are all expected to see time on the mound alongside Clear and Wortman, but in a region as deep as theirs, BCC will need several arms to step up and exceed expectations for them to remain competitive once again.

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Blake Bengals  

2025 Record: 6-10

When you think of Blake over the past couple of years, the first player that comes to mind is Isaac Blinkoff, a high-powered two-way player who produces consistently on both sides of the ball. If Blake finds success in 2026, there is no doubt that Blinkoff will be the one carrying the load.

Rounding out the rotation on the bump behind Blinkoff, senior Brody Matson and junior Braden Armes are both coming off of strong 2025 campaigns and look to make an even larger jump in 2026. At the plate, Blinkoff, Armes, Matson and sophomore Ryan Monroe will headline the lineup and all four will need to have big seasons if Blake looks to stay consistent this spring. 

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Churchill Bulldogs  

2025 Record: 6-14
Key Departures: Owen Singer, Joey King

This Churchill roster sees a slew of impact players on both sides of the ball gone due to graduation; however, the return of a highly intriguing junior class should keep the Bulldogs in contention across the county this spring. On the bump, the bulk of the big innings will be on the shoulders of junior Ethan Blitz, as the right-hander now jumps into the “ace” role for Churchill in 2026. Behind Blitz, sophomore standout Drew Bitterman adds his name to the rotation and provides a really nice one-two punch for Churchill on the bump. 

Offensively, junior standout Brayden Reiner was a big winner for our staff this preseason, and a strong 2026 spring is quickly on the horizon for the 6-foot-3 right-handed hitter. Look for fellow junior Amir Shah to add some thump in the middle of the order and Bitterman to add some depth as well. The lack of a strong senior core and experience may cause some inconsistencies in 2026; however, look for the main pieces for Churchill to compete and potentially surprise some of the big names throughout this spring. 

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Clarksburg Coyotes  

2025 Record: 4-12

Another young and hungry roster across MoCo, Clarksburg enters the 2026 campaign looking to build off the experience gained by their underclassmen a year ago. At the plate, it starts with junior Patrick Adams Jr, a highly athletic right-handed hitter that hit cleanup for the Coyotes a year ago and should be the player that gets this lineup rolling on a consistent basis. Sophomore Penn Phillips looks to build off of experience gained a year ago on varsity and provide some depth, as senior Kyle Sturley and junior Henry Wall will look to add some experienced depth as well. 

On the bump, a slew of younger arms from a year ago will look to take that next step for Coach Foxwell’s squad, as seniors Andrew Agrusti, Grant Chien, and junior Dillon Biggs look to headline the rotation. Sophomore Lucas Salebe logged some innings as a freshman last year and also looks to build off of that experience garnered from a year ago.

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Damascus Swarmin' Hornets  

2025 Record: 17-3
Key Departures: Cameron Wilberding, Mason Walter, Will Heyse, Jake Lokos

The 2025 season for Damascus carried high expectations, and for the most part, the Swarmin’ Hornets delivered. They put together one of the strongest regular seasons in the state and established themselves as a clear contender. However, their run came to a sudden halt with a shocking one-and-done postseason exit, falling to Wootton in the region semifinals. The loss reinforced the idea that in Montgomery County, anyone can beat anyone on a given day. Heading into 2026, Damascus looks to reload and push past the same hurdle that ended their season last spring.

The Hornets will enter the year without their top two arms, meaning the pitching staff now turns to senior duo Raffaele Iorio, the top uncommitted player in the senior class, and Ian Hyman (Randolph-Macon). Hyman has experience pitching in big matchups, while Iorio has recently transitioned into a two-way role after spending the last year developing on the mound. Now sitting in the upper-80s, he gives Coach Skellchock another athletic option to anchor the rotation. Offensively, the Iorio brothers return to lead the charge following standout junior campaigns. Raffaele and Giacomo Iorio (Frederick CC) form one of the most dangerous offensive duos in the county. Fellow seniors Justin Witmer (Stevenson) and Tyler Luskey add stability in the middle of the order, while the rest of the lineup will likely feature several new faces. Sophomore Kody Childers and junior Liam Curtin are two names to watch, as both have the potential to emerge as breakout offensive threats.

If the pitching staff can settle in and the offense finds its rhythm, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Damascus push past last year’s roadblock — even after losing a talented senior class from the 2025 squad.

Magruder Colonels  

2025 Record: 15-6
Key Departures: Avery Grain, Terrion Pettus, Ryan Schwartzman

Magruder appears well-positioned for the 2026 season. Aside from losing a few key outfield pieces, the Colonels return the majority of their roster on both sides of the ball. The pitching staff remains largely intact, led by a pair of southpaws in senior Ethan Hyler and junior Andrew Giacalone, who provide stability at the top of the rotation. While they may not overpower hitters with velocity, their ability to pound the strike zone and limit big innings should keep Magruder competitive in most games.

Senior Colin McCullough (West Virginia Wesleyan) is expected to round out the rotation as a low-80s arm who contributes on the mound, but his biggest impact may come at the plate as the power bat in the middle of the order. Alongside him, senior Matt Strahan (Clarion) returns after a standout postseason performance that helped carry Magruder to the state tournament.

Offensively, Jovi Silva and the Giacalone brothers — senior Andrew and sophomore Collin — are expected to anchor the heart of the lineup, giving the Colonels depth in an order that brings back six familiar faces. Jackson Branch also returns near the top of the lineup after injuries caused him to miss significant time during the 2025 season.

The strength of this team begins with its pitching staff, which already proved its capabilities last year and has continued to show promise in early scrimmages this spring. The biggest thing will be to limit the common mistakes. With so much experience returning, Magruder has the pieces in place to be even stronger than they were a season ago.

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Montgomery Blair Blazers  

2025 Record: 11-9
Key Departures: Dylan Anderson, Keagan Green

Blair enters the 2026 season as one of the most experienced teams in the state, returning the bulk of a roster that experienced its share of highs and lows last year before falling to eventual semifinalist Reservoir in the region title game. While many teams across the county lost key pieces from their pitching staffs, the Blazers bring theirs back almost entirely intact. 

Owen Hauser (Bucknell) headlines the rotation and enters the season with expectations of a breakout year that could cement him as the top arm in Montgomery County. Behind him is senior Desmond Llanes (Allegheny), one of the most reliable No. 2 starters in the county. Will Brady, Ryan Kelting, and Will Taylor also return, giving Blair one of the deepest pitching staffs in the area and providing the type of consistency that could carry them through the season.

Offensively, Blair does lose its top two hitters from last year, but much of the rest of the lineup returns after being productive — even if it wasn’t necessarily game-changing in 2025. Jacob Wright leads the group as a high-contact bat at the top of the order who could quietly emerge as a contender to lead the county in batting average. The depth of Blair’s lineup is astonishing, with contributors spread across multiple classes. Juniors Oliver Monroe, Ole Hage, and Ryan Shultz return alongside seniors Tal Pearlman, Aiden Carle, Hauser, and Llanes, while sophomores Rafi Davis and Adrian Rodriguez add even more depth. The sheer number of experienced offensive pieces gives the Blazers plenty of options throughout the lineup.

If the offense can find its rhythm and the pitching staff delivers the consistency expected — particularly at the top — Blair could be well positioned for a deep 4A state title run, especially with Reservoir moving down to Class 3A and out of their region.

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Northwest Jaguars  

2025 Record: 10-7
Key Departures: Myles Dickerson, Dominic Mejia, Ronny Dinzey, Chase Foster

The biggest storyline surrounding Northwest heading into 2026 is the addition of transfer Isaiah Babcock (Fairmont State). His arrival gives the Jaguars one of the top arms in the county and immediately elevates their ceiling, especially with the season opener coming against the defending 4A state champions. The timing of the addition is crucial, as Northwest graduated Myles Dickerson, a player who had been the face of the program for the past several seasons.

Babcock will be complemented by senior Michael Qi (Marymount), who provides a crafty and reliable No. 2 option in the rotation and will be counted on heavily during weeks when the Jaguars face multiple top-tier opponents. Landon Brayman, Caedmon Little, and Ryan Chacon round out the bullpen, forming what should be an above-average pitching staff in 2026. On the offensive side, Northwest graduated more than half of its starters from last season, leaving some major question marks. Luke Stelmack (Drew) is the most notable returning piece and will help provide leadership and stability in the lineup alongside Little. Two sophomores to watch are Brayden Altieri and Brady Forman, both of whom could carve out significant roles and give the Jaguars some exciting young talent to build around.

While the roster has some new faces, this is far from a rebuilding or transition year. When a team has a top-end arm like Babcock, expectations remain high. The key early in the season will be the pitching staff’s ability to carry the load while the offense develops its identity and finds a rhythm, helping Northwest avoid a slow start to the year.

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Poolesville Falcons   

2025 Record: 5-14
Key Departures: None

Last season, we noted that Poolesville was a young team with the potential to make noise in the coming years. Even with another year of experience, the roster is still largely built around sophomores and juniors. However, last season served as an important step in building the program’s foundation, and that experience should begin to translate into greater success moving forward.

The pitching staff is particularly promising for both the present and the future. Juniors Caleb Davis and Tristan Yarrington are expected to lead the rotation, with high-upside sophomore Isaac Morrow also playing a significant role. Another sophomore to watch is Jonathan Kwon, who could log meaningful innings out of the bullpen as the season progresses.

Offensively, Reid Kimball emerged as one of the more impressive left-handed hitting outfielders last spring and should continue building on his strong sophomore campaign. He’ll be joined by players like Justin Pawlowski and Sawyer Thompson, who both gained valuable experience last year and will look to take on larger roles. Davis and Yarrington are also expected to contribute offensively, giving Poolesville added production from key two-way players.

This is still an extremely young roster that didn’t lose many key contributors last season — and likely won’t after this one either. That creates an opportunity for Poolesville to put itself on the radar this spring before potentially making an even bigger push next year as the team matures. Still, this group is capable of competing now, and their success will depend on a true team effort and the chemistry they’ve built together. With the door open in their 2A region, expect Poolesville to be a very competitive team throughout the season.

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Quince Orchard Cougars  

2025 Record: 13-7
Key Departures: Josh Tseronis, Aidan Graham, Andrew Rabberman, Jack Kodrin, Justin Wu

When it comes to teams that lost significant talent, Quince Orchard is certainly near the top of the list. The Cougars graduated several key pieces, highlighted by the departure of one of the top outfielders in the state, Josh Tseronis. His loss makes an already challenging path through the region even tougher, but that doesn’t mean the roster is without talent.

Junior Shane Beebe, one of the top players in the county, is expected to emerge as the face of the program over the next two seasons. He headlines a group of returning contributors that includes seniors Max Lee, Avi Rubin, Zach Bernstein, Matty Gormley, and Jack Michaels, who should make up much of the middle of the order for the Cougars. There are also a few upperclassmen who have seen limited action in the past but may now be called upon to step into larger roles offensively. One name to watch is junior AJ Serrano, who could help fill some of the lineup gaps. On the mound, the Cougars will likely rely on several two-way players to anchor the staff, with Lee, Bernstein, and Beebe all expected to contribute significant innings. With a relatively young roster, Quince Orchard may experience some early growing pains, but steady improvement throughout the season is a realistic expectation.

Ultimately, this year should help lay the foundation for the next wave of talent coming through the program, as younger players gain the valuable experience needed to compete at the varsity level in Montgomery County. 

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Richard Montgomery Rockets  

2025 Record: 14-6
Key Departure: Alex Von Behren, Saif Salchak

This roster is one that has our staff excited to see in 2026, returning a slew of impact bats from a year ago that should give opposing pitchers and defenses headaches consistently throughout the spring. Offensively, senior leadoff hitter Jaylen Garcia is back and looks to stack upon a strong junior campaign, while junior Elliott Reich, Ojas Bailey, and Logan Nguyen Nyu look to slide up in the lineup and provide some thump in the middle. The middle of the order from a year ago saw a plethora of impact seniors, and this 2026 RM lineup will need some depth provided by some younger, fairly inexperienced bats to pick up the slack. 

On the pitching side, Alex Von Behren and Saif Salchak logged the majority of innings on the bump a year ago and have since graduated. Turn the page to 2026, and look for junior Jacob Hecht to pick up those innings and be the front-runner for this staff this spring. Depth is the question mark behind Hecht, and look for some underclassmen to fill the void. 

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Sherwood Warriors  

2025 Record: 22-3
Key Departures: Jacob Bagania, Bryce Sheahin, Ty Hames, Ryan Rey, Kyle Glasser, Jason Seils, Tyler Seils, Mikey Schiano (transfer)

The powerhouse of Montgomery County baseball, Sherwood enters the 2026 spring looking for their 5th state title in 6 years, a feat that is almost unimaginable across the high school baseball ranks. A 2026 roster that is littered with talent and depth on both sides of the ball, Coach Davis has plenty of reliable options at his disposal. On the bump, Ryan Zanni, Charlie Crismond, Lee Gisriel, and Sam Rosenwald provide the top-end talent and senior leadership, while an intriguing slew of juniors in Colton McCarthy, Grant Gisriel, Andrew Gisriel, and Reid Duvall will provide depth throughout. Keep eyes on Sophomore Keegan Blake and senior Jake Berger (Lynchburg) to provide some innings on the back-end as well, rounding out one of the deepest and “embarrassment of riches” type rotations in the state. 

Offensively, it starts at the top with Carter Sweeney-Strawberry (Rutgers), a 2024 Prep Baseball Future Gamer primed for a huge senior season after missing all of his junior year due to injury, outside of an appearance in the state title game. The middle of the order is stacked with top-tier talent with the likes of juniors Michael Cheng, Jaiden Sarita, and Isaiah Bang, while seniors Jacob Bender (Gettysburg), Berger, Calum Jagannathan, and Cam Calandro (Hood) provide the thump throughout the lineup. A name to circle and keep a close eye on is freshman Ayden Jenkins, a player who should make headlines consistently this spring and add his name as an impact bat throughout this lineup. 

Walter Johnson Wildcats  

2025 Record: 22-4
Key Departures: Nolan Ross, Shaun Rudick, Andreas Johnson, Connor McGee, Brady Chan, Ethan Hsu

The defending 4A state champions enter 2026 once again as one of the top teams in the state, and our look at them this past Friday only reinforced that notion as they delivered a strong performance against John Carroll. As is typically the case with a Coach Sutherland–led squad, the pitching staff remains a major strength. That’s especially impressive considering the absence of star junior right-hander Andrew Joncas, who was expected to step into a starting role after serving as a shutdown reliever in 2025 but will miss the entire 2026 season due to injury.

The staff transitions from one standout southpaw to another, as reigning Pitcher of the Year Nolan Ross hands the spotlight to Spencer Gilcrest (Emory), who many view as the top arm in the county this spring. Behind Gilcrest, WJ features a deep group of pitchers capable of making an impact throughout the season. Seniors Grant Matalia (Ithaca) and Ethan Pletter headline that group alongside junior Logan Rayment-Cruz, while Sam Grimley also showed well in relief during Friday’s matchup. Altogether, it shapes up to be one of the deepest pitching staffs in the county.

Offensively, the coaching staff faces the challenge of rebuilding a lineup that lost nearly every starter from last year’s state championship game. The two key returners — senior Sam Weston (Stevenson) and Pletter — are expected to anchor the top of the order. One potential breakout name is junior Juan Pena Simon, who turned heads with an RBI double in Friday’s contest. Many of the other names mentioned on the pitching side will also factor into the lineup just like last year, and early signs suggest the group is capable of stringing together quality at-bats and generating offense.

The biggest question will be how well the lineup can complement a pitching staff that should consistently keep games low-scoring. WJ likely enters the season as the favorite in its region, but the road back to the state title game will be anything but easy.

Walt Whitman Vikings  

2025 Record: 14-5
Key Departures: Sammy Berman, Charlie Buckles, Wells Twining, RJ Heller, Sammy Angel, Cole Roman

From a pure talent standpoint, Walt Whitman is right there with BCC when it comes to teams that lost the most production from last year. In fact, the Vikings could make a strong case that few public school programs in the state graduated more talent. Still, Whitman remains loaded with capable players, and Coach Cassidy has consistently shown an ability to develop underclassmen and get the most out of his roster.

The Vikings do return a solid senior group highlighted by Tait Nickerson (Kenyon), Will Blot, James Eichburg, and Leo Pelmoter. One of the most intriguing additions to the lineup is senior transfer Ryan Van Huysen, who arrives from DeMatha and should immediately provide a boost offensively. The younger core also brings valuable experience, with Diarmuid “Puck” Gardiner, Noah Caruso, and Marcus Dober helping round out what should still be one of the stronger lineups in the county. On the mound, senior Kenneth Nickerson (Trinity) returns to anchor the staff after gaining valuable experience last season. Gardiner also figures to play a major role as one of the top sophomore arms in the county, bringing a power arm to the front of the rotation. Sam Clement emerged as one of Whitman’s top relievers last year and is expected to take on an even larger role this spring, while Dober adds stability on the backend out of the bullpen.

Whitman certainly has the pieces to make an impact this season, but this group will need to prove itself against top competition to reach that level. Regardless, the Vikings should once again be competitive — even if the roster features fewer of the household names that fans in Bethesda have grown accustomed to seeing.

Wootton Patriots  

2025 Record: 11-10
Key Departures: Luke Brunner, Jack Kerns, AJ Shifflett, Matthew Kunst

The big storyline for the Patriots entering 2026 is the loss of their leaders from a year ago in Jack Kerns, AJ Shiflett, Luke Brunner and Matthew Kunst. Turn the page to 2026, and this roster still has talent and experience from a year ago that should allow Wootton to stay competitive. Offensively, the Patriots lose their 1, 2, 3, and 5 hitters in the lineup to graduation and look for some players to fill those voids. Seniors Cyrus Kaz, Tyler Mollica, Alex Grainger, and Blake Graham will be vital for success to be had offensively. Sophomore standout Jake Allen had a stellar freshman campaign on the bump and will look to add onto that success in 2026, while senior Hunter Sullivan looks to take a more prominent role at the front-end of the rotation. We aren't quite sure of the status of senior Kai Schmelzer (Gulf Coast State), but his addition would substantially boost this team's offensive profile. Without him, the Patriots will be searching for an identity.

Additional Players to Watch 

Michael Bixler - Gaithersburg
Nicholas Bixler - Gaithersburg
Vincent Burakiewicz - Gaithersburg