By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the top 75 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage:

Team: Belleville West
Preseason Rank: 60
2013 Record: 21-13
Conference: Southwestern
IHSA Class: 4A  
Head Coach: Lee Meyer
Playoff Run: Lost in First Round
2013 Final Rank: Not Ranked

Returning Starters: 3
Returning Pitchers: 3

TOP PLAYERS
Parker Beine, RHP/OF, 2014
Brendan Saak, OF/RHP, 2014
Jacob Wilson, C/RHP/OF, 2015
Matt Klosterman, OF/RHP, 2015
John Dozier, OF, 2014

X-FACTOR
Parker Beine. The athletic 6-foot-2, 180-pound right-hander can throw four pitchers for strikes, including a mid-80s fastball and a sharp slider. As a junior, Beine posted a 6-5 record with 2 saves and a 2.26 ERA. In 55.2 innings, he struck out 49 and walked 17 while maintaining a 1.06 WHIP.

KEY PLAYER LOST
Aaron Meyer, SS (Missouri State)

OUTLOOK
With little fanfare, the Maroons captured the tough Southwestern Conference championship last spring, only to get bounced in the first round of the playoffs. The graduation of All-State SS Aaron Meyer is a big blow, especially to an offense that may struggle to score runs this season. Venerable coach Lee Meyer, however, has some depth on the mound, headlined by Beine and Brendan Saak, who is also a standout outfielder. Senior OF John Dozier also returns to add speed to the lineup, and look for Jacob Wilson to build on a solid sophomore campaign.

BOTTOM LINE
The Maroons’ questionable offense will need to produce if they are to repeat as Southwestern champions. Heading into the season, they are not the favorite to win the highly competitive league. Then again, they weren’t last year, either.

Season Countdown

+ Preseason Team Rankings

+ Updated Illinois 2014 Player Rankings

+ June Event Schedule

Make sure you follow @PBRillinois on Twitter for complete Illinois high school baseball coverage throughout the season.