GAMETIMECT TOP 10 BASEBALL POLL

TEAM REC PTS LAST CLASS 1. STAPLES (10) 0-0 328 1 LL

Bottom Line: Bottom Line: Defending Class LL champions bring back plenty of talent, including finals MVP Chad Knight.

2. AMITY (1) 1-0 302 2 LL

Bottom Line: Spartans will be vying for their sixth-straight Class LL championship game appearance with UConn-commit Patrick Winkel behind the plate.

3.WATERFORD 0-0 251 3 M

Bottom Line: Runs will be tough to come by against Waterford with two Division I pitchers in Mike Burrows (UConn) and Walker Sutman (Fairfield) on the staff.

4. RIDGEFIELD 1-0 214 6 LL

Bottom Line: Lefty Alex Price is among the best arms in the state, Tigers rebuilding around him.

5. WESTHILL 1-0 198 8 LL

Bottom Line: Junior CF Bobby Zmarzlak is a top prospect playing in a potent offense with a pitching staff to match.

6. HOLY CROSS 0-0 148 4 S

Bottom Line: Coming off the school’s first baseball state championship, Holy Cross has eyes on a repeat in Class S.

7. BRANFORD 0-1 142 NR L

Bottom Line: Zane Kmietek, Carson Mendoza and Alphonse Suppa make up one of the most talented pitching rotations in the state.

T8. ST. JOSEPH 0-0 131 NR M

Bottom Line: The Cadets went young last year and come back with a roster loaded with experienced juniors including a deep pitching staff.

T8. FAIRFIELD PREP 1-0 131 NR LL

Bottom Line: The Jesuits could be very good this year with a talented pitching staff and UConn-bound All-State SS Will Lucas back. 10. SIMSBURY 0-1 125 NR LL Bottom Line: Simsbury gunning for its first state title since 1997. Dropped out: Foran (5), North Haven (7), Wilton (9), East Lyme (10)

First-place votes in parentheses and points tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.

Others receiving votes: East Lyme 123; Newtown 94; Hand 80; North Haven 65; Danbury 40; Foran 39; Wilton 37; Darien 29; Masuk 21; Greenwich 18; Tolland 18; South Windsor 18; New Milford 18; Westhersfield 14; Notre Dame West Haven 12; Haddam-Killingworth 11; Trumbull 11; Cheshire 10; Middletown 8; Southington 8; NFA 8; New Fairfield 8; Lewis Mills 7, Xavier 7

The following voted: Ryan Lacey, Danbury News-Times, Mike DiMauro, The Day of New London; Dave Ruden, The Ruden Report; David Heuschkel, The Valley Press; Bill Bloxsom, HAN; Mike Madera, Walter Camp Foundation/New Haven Register; Dave Phillips, Shoreline Newspapers; Michael Suppe, HAN; Noah Finz, Frontier Cable/Vantage Sports Network; Scott Ericson Stamford Advocate; Jesse Mayfield-Sheehan, Norwich Bulletin;