2019 Prep Previews — Elsewhere

Hew Hampton hopes to contend again in the Lakes Region.

In recent years, New England prep school baseball has been top-heavy. St. Sebastian's, Phillips Andover, Salisbury and Loomis Chaffee all rose to the top of their respective leagues last season, but the big question this year is whether those clubs can add more championships to their dominant runs.

Will a new team rise to take their place atop the mountain?

While St. Sebastian's still remains the favorite in the Independent School League, Belmont Hill, Lawrence Academy, and Noble & Greenough are among those primed to challenge the Arrows. Phillips Andover has dominated the Central New England Prep School Baseball League, having won four titles since 2012. However, Phillips Exeter, Deerfield Academy, Dexter-Southfield, and Worcester Academy are among those with the arsenal to make a serious run this year.

While Salisbury seized control of the Western New England Prep Baseball League last year, it doesn't mean the Crimson Knights won't be tested this season. Expect Canterbury, Cheshire Academy and Suffield Academy to be viable candidates to leap frog. The same can be said for defending Founders League champion Loomis Chaffee. In a league filled with multiple talented squads, two schools in particular (Avon Old Farms and Choate Rosemary Hall) seem best-equipped to give the Pelicans a run for their money in 2019.