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Obviously, there are no guarantees and coach Rik Ponstein would be foolish to count the title in the bag before the season even opens.

But on paper, the Blazers field one of the more veteran teams in the league --and that includes its array of pitchers who have chalked up a ton of innings.

Heading the list of returnees is Marissa Taylor, who is coming off her fourth year on the Blazers' girls varsity basketball team as a starting forward.

Taylor keyed the Blazers run to their fourth straight district championship last spring, and is primed to have a breakout season in her final go-round wearing the school colors.

Ironically, the Blazers entered the regional championships played on their home diamond needing to beat a familiar opponent in LMC rival East Jordan.

After splitting a pair of regular season games, the two went all out in an effort to get that all important "rubber" match in the regional final.

East Jordan emerged with the title, knocking off the Blazers 7-2 and moving on in the postseason tournament while Kalkaska could only ponder what might have been.

But with the experience they have in the circle, the Blazers shouldn't suffer much of a drop off in terms of their ability to win games on a regular basis.

In addition to Taylor, the Blazers also return another key starter in Kara Ponstein, another All-Conference girls basketball player.

With those two giving the Blazers a solid one-two pitching punch, everything else should hopefully fall into place.

Granted, it's a little early to start projecting conference titles with everyone still forced to practice indoors with temperatures going up and down like the gas prices.

Once the snow melts off the field and the Blazers are able to get outside, coach Ponstein will have a better idea of what he has on the team.

It's always comforting in these early days to know that there's experience at just about every position, and that's where coach Ponstein sits.

Pitching heads the list of priorities, naturally, but the Blazers also have veteran players at short, third and second base as well as the outfield.

The Blazers have the talent to contend in the conference, and make a run at their fifth straight district crown.

But they'll have a target on their backs.

Kalkaska is marked team this season, especially in the postseason.

Everyone wants to knock of the No. 1 team from a year ago, and that was Kalkaska in the district.

Coming into the season with the kind of pedigree Kalkaska does, though, can also serve as a motivating factor.

You can bet that all of the Blazers come into this season determined to successfully defend their status as district champions.

Well, actually, that's inaccurate.

The Blazers aren't really "defending" anything. They are simply going to try to win another title. Kalkaska happened to win it last year, but this year's title is vacant.

At least, that's how coaches look at it.

It's wise to think of it in those terms, too, because otherwise you put added pressure on your players. And the Blazers feel enough as four-time defending district champ --oops, there's that word again.

Kalkaska has the pitching, defense and hitting to be a force in the league, and certainly in the postseason.

But that won't really be determined until everyone gets outside and starts playing the games.

Only then will anyone know just how things might shake out.

We can talk a good game in the first two weeks of practice. But the proof will be in the pudding, so to speak, when the teams start squaring off.

Then we'll know who's a contender and who's a pretender. Right now, though, I'd have to label the Blazers a contender until someone beats them.

Let's play some ball.