But, for the Minot High School baseball team, they can take some solace in being pegged as the team to beat.

Ranked No. 1 in the West Region and No. 1 in the state to start the season, baseball coaches from around Class A have taken notice to the talent the Magicians are returning this season.

Sure, it’s just preseason coaches’ polls. But, maybe it’s also a precursor to what Minot High can accomplish.

“I feel pretty confident with our kids coming back with experience,” MHS coach Pete Stenberg said. “With the swagger that they have, I feel like we will be OK. But, you still have to go out and play solid baseball day in and day out.”

Alex Eisen/MDN Minot High’s Carson Tonini throws a pitch in a Class A baseball game played last season.

In the state preseason poll, Minot received five first-place votes and beat out other Top 5 contenders West Fargo, Century, Fargo North and Fargo Davies.

The Magi, 24-14 last season, are coming up on a decade without winning any hardware. Minot last won the WDA in 2009 and they claimed the program’s only state championship in 2005.

A returning core that features seven starters from a year ago would like to change that.

“I don’t think we should limit ourselves,” junior Alex Schimke said. “(We will) try to win as many games as possible and hopefully end up in the state championship game at the end.”

The Magi won two games at the state tournament last year after suffering a 3-2 walk-off heartbreaker to Fargo Davies in the first round.

It was a case of missed chances dooming the Magi once again.

“We had a couple opportunities early where if we just put the ball in play we score a run,” Stenberg said. “Then, I think we win that ball game and have a chance to make the title game. That’s something that plagued us all last year was picking up runners in scoring position.”

Capitalizing with clutch at-bats will be paramount again this season, as MHS already has the proven pitching to shut down any opponent.

The Magi can go seven deep on the mound and are headlined by senior All-State ace Carson Tonini.

“I believe our pitching staff is going to be one of the best in the state,” Stenberg said. “When you have guys like Carson Tonini, Lofton Klabunde, Creighton Rudolph, Alex Schimke and Kyler Stenberg, those are five pretty good starters out there. Throw in (Johnny) Tubbs with a reliever like Carson Gillund, that’s seven guys right there that are pretty good quality baseball pitchers.”

Rudolph, an All-Conference selection last season as a catcher, returns after already having an eventful senior season — from quarterbacking the Magi to the Dakota Bowl in the fall to recovering from a severe arm injury to place second at the state wrestling tournament (170 pounds).

Fellow multi-sport athlete Lofton Klabunde (football and basketball) will provide the power in the middle of the Magi’s lineup with Tonini, Schimke and Tubbs.

“We have been playing together since we were kids,” Klabunde said. “We got some relationships going and a lot of chemistry. We respect each other and play well together.”

The Magi open the season this weekend if the weather allows. They are scheduled to play Grand Forks Central at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Corbett Field and then Grand Forks Red River at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Hoeven Baseball Park in Minot.

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.