Five Delco baseball players to watch

Scott Hahn, Marple Newtown: The junior was among the county leaders with 27 RBIs last year, and his power numbers should only improve with a deep slate of table-setters and another year under his belt. Where Hahn could take the largest steps is by emerging as a secondary option to ace Ricky Collings on the mound for a Tigers roster stocked with talent.

Nick Cerelli, Haverford: The third baseman batted .393 with seven extra-base hits last season as the Fords made the postseason. With the most pressing questions in Paul Bogosian’s restocking of talent falling on the pitching staff, a lineup that returns plenty of pop will be leaned on to power the team.

Justin Meyer, Haverford School: There are plenty of notable underclassmen on the Fords, but Meyer still shines from that crowd. He batted .345 last season as an outfielder and settled into the closer’s role with four saves and a 3-0 record in 17 innings pitched as a freshman. With four pitchers, including stalwart Tyler Dunbar, back, Meyer could be the devastating additional piece that elevates the Fords from very good to great.

Christian Bateman, Sun Valley: Understandably overshadowed by All-Delco ace C.J. Pruitt last year, Bateman carved out a nice niche as the No. 2 starter, recording four wins and a save with an ERA under two. He’ll have to step up as the main arm this season, but his performance as a sophomore proved that he’s not going to be intimidated by the task.

Charlie Connolly, Radnor: Another pitcher shielded by a pair of workhorse seniors, Connolly posted a 1.79 ERA and was 10th in the county with 10 strikeouts as a sophomore. He’ll have to take on a bigger role, but he’s got a live arm and a knack for missing bats that will serve a young Radnor staff well.