MaxPreps 2015 California Sac-Joaquin Section preseason baseball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

1. Elk Grove
2014 finish: 27-6
Head coach: Jeff Carlson

The Thundering Herd fell short of a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I repeat last year, falling to Davis in the section championship game. While coach Jeff Carlson lost first round MLB Draft pick Darius Hill from last year's lineup, nearly every other player returns from a team that won 27 games. Leading the way is Team USA veteran Nick Madrigal at shortstop. He batted .421 last year with 42 runs scored. Elk Grove also has Dylan Carlson (.315) back at first base and Carlos Moseley (.307) back in the infield. The pitching is also stellar with Chris Martin (7-2) returning for his senior year and Austin Del Chiaro (7-1) back for his junior season.

View last season's Sac-Joaquin Section baseball rankings, presented by the Army National Guard

2. Franklin (Elk Grove)
2014 finish: 20-11
Head coach: Brian Kilby

Franklin exited the Division I tournament after dropping two straight games to Davis and Elk Grove, the eventual finalists. Besides returning all but one pitcher from last year's staff, the offense returns six of the team's top batters. Hank LoForte, an infielder is the top returning player after batting .408 with 20 RBIs and 11 doubles last year. The Wildcats also have a solid catcher in junior Isaiah Morales, who batted .370. Zachary Tresemer, a junior, led the pitching staff with six wins.

View last season's California baseball playoff brackets

3. Davis
2014 finish: 22-13-1
Head coach: Dan Ariola

The Blue Devils got hot at the end of the season, defeating Franklin and Elk Grove down the stretch to win the Division I championship. A strong senior class has graduated, but there is still talent left to help defend their title. Ryan Kreidler, one of the state's top sophomores last season, returns after batting .438 with 32 runs, 28 RBIs and 12 doubles. Kris Prince is the top returning pitcher with a 3-0 mark as a junior.

View last season's California baseball stat leaders

4. St. Mary's (Stockton)
2014 finish: 22-15
Head coach: Rob Selna

Traditionally one of the top teams in the southern part of the Sac-Joaquin Section, St. Mary's returns five of its top nine hitters from last year, led by infielder Ripken Reyes, who batted .408 with 12 doubles last season. He's joined by Jarron Silva, a junior outfielder, who batted .362 and senior infielder Evan Fagundes, who batted .315. Fagundes is also the top returning pitcher with a 4-1 record and a 1.78 ERA.

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5. Vanden (Fairfield)
2014 finish: 19-6
Head coach: Ryan Adams

Considering that Vanden didn't win a playoff game last year, it would be easy to be skeptical about its inclusion in the Fab 5. However, the Vikings return every single player in the field and every pitching win from last year's 19-6 squad. Rylan Haney is back after going 7-3 on the mound while Robert Hutting returns with his five wins. Offensively, junior Alejandro Lara is back after leading the team with a .434 batting average. Other top returning hitters include junior Eno Evans (.389), Eric Robles (.379) and Pablo Delgado Rodriguez (.378).