Gardiner lost some key players from last year’s Class B state championship team, including Kyle Stilphen, who starts at the University of Maine this season.

The bad news for the teams in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference, as well as Class B clubs around the state, is the Tigers may be stronger this season.

“I think player for player we’re more talented than we were last year,” Gardiner coach Jim Palmer said. “It’s going to come down to how hard we work throughout the season.”

Part of the reason for Palmer’s optimism is junior Forrest Chadwick, who batted .395, played nearly flawlessly in the infield and went 5-0 on the mound.

“He’s picked up a little velocity plus he has great control,” Palmer said.

Donnie Cray, like Chadwick, throws in the low to mid 80s and gives the Tigers a strong 1-2 punch on the mound. Lefty Andrew Bobrowiecki and Spencer Allen have looked good enough in preseason that Palmer is considering a four-man rotation.

With Chadwick at short, Alex Wheelock behind the plate and Cray in center, defense is one of the team’s strengths. The Tigers also have a strong batting order, led by those three and Nick Maschino.

Palmer expects conference challenges from Waterville, Medomak Valley and Camden Hills, among others.

Waterville lost two of its best defensive players — first baseman Eli Fitzgerald to graduation and center fielder Cam Bishop to track and field — but with a majority of last season’s 11-win club back, the Panthers should contend in Eastern Maine this season.

Pitchers Josh Gaudette and Kyle Bishop each won five games last season, and Gaudette struck out 48 batters in 41 innings. Isaac Webb and Tim Locke also have varsity pitching experience.

“We could configure it as a four-person rotation, but we’ll probably cut it to three,” Waterville coach Don Sawyer said.

Catcher Curt Chaput drove in 17 runs last season. Sawyer feels Chaput could have a breakout year.

“He’s on task about wanting this year to be the best year Waterville baseball ever had,” Sawyer said.

Second baseman Cam Sawyer is back hitting leadoff after hitting .355 with 18 stolen bases last season. Outfielder/designated hitter Kris Huggins hit .345 last season, while Kyle Bishop drove in 13 runs and hit .328.

Oak Hill coach Chad Drouin is excited about his team’s pitching. During a preseason trip he used 11 pitchers and 10 were effective.

“We might try to get three or four innings out of our starters and go to our bullpen for an inning apiece,” Drouin said.

Seniors Ben Rines and Josh Sirois are returning starters while junior lefty Cody Plourde could emerge as the team’s ace. Drouin is also high on junior shortstop Timothy Levesque, who along with Plourde will bat near the top of the lineup.

Despite an 8-8 record, Winslow missed the playoffs for the first time in coach Robin Weed’s 15 years as the Black Raiders’ skipper. Winslow has 11 players back and should be back in the playoff mix.

“Last year was a transition year,” Weed said. “They just made their mistakes. We’re going into this year with a good attitude and tons of confidence.”

The Black Raiders are led by seniors Scott Siviski and Joey McLean. When one of those two is pitching, the other will play shortstop. Siviski hit nine triples a year ago. Catcher Kevin Martin should be one of Winslow’s top hitters, along with third baseman Nate Martin and outfielder Jack Nivison, who ended last season hitting well.

Maranacook has one of its youngest, least experienced teams in years, but don’t count the Black Bears out of the race. Coach Don Plourde is good at playing small ball and this year will have to rely on that tactic more than ever. Seniors Pat Norwood and Cory Palmer are among the best outfielders and hitters in the conference and Eric Ogren is solid behind the pate.

The key for Maranacook will be the development of an unproven pitching staff that will likely include two freshmen.

Penson Bartlett stepped down after eight years as Mt. View’s head coach. Co-head coaches Bobby Hughes and Casey Holmes feel they have the talent to bring the Mustangs back to the playoffs.

It starts on the mound for Mt. View. Despite losing all-conference ace Tyler Miles to graduation, the team returns three pitchers in Cody Raven, Dylan Keller and Tyler Rednour, who Hughes feels give Mt. View a chance to compete.

“It’s a one-two-three punch,” Hughes said.

Those three will be counted on to lead the offense, along with Kiel Lemieux.

Dan Grady takes over at Erskine as interim coach for Lars Jonassen, who is battling medical issues and will attend games when he can. Grady’s son, Nick, is one of the top players in the conference at third base and at the plate. This year, he’ll also pitch. Senior Andrew Ballantyne and junior Camilo Pardo round out a pitching staff that could be fairly strong.

The Eagles also should be a good defensive team but they’ll need to develop some hitters to protect Grady.