Here we are once again, my friends. It’s time for our preview look at Metro baseball for the 2013 season.

I humbly offer our third annual overview of each Metro team and a prediction of the season to come.

The first two installments in 2011 and 2012 helped stimulate interest in the upcoming season and sparked conversation for the high school baseball fans in the Cedar Rapids and Marion area.

At first glance, it looks like Linn-Mar will have a deep pitching staff and Prairie will have a talented senior-laden lineup. Kennedy, Xavier and Marion will be reloading as they just keep rolling out their usual successful teams.

Jefferson will welcome a new coach in Kyle Rodenkirk. Washington will look to build on the successful solid foundation it laid last summer under Tony Lombardi, who has announced he will resign as Washington's coach after this season.

I think we can look forward to an exciting summer of competitive baseball that will reveal some excellent individual players and determine that there are some state contending teams here in the Metro.

The new season will begin May 20 with the annual Bob Vrbicek Metro Tournament, so it's a good time to make our first read of the teams that will be entertaining us this summer.

Cedar Valley Christian struggled through its first baseball season in 2012 and until the Huskies begin to see the fruits of a developing youth program, they will have a hard time turning the corner anytime soon. van Koch hit .412 for the Huskies in their first season.

Jefferson and Washington will have relatively inexperienced teams as the season begins. Rodenkirk’s enthusiasm, combined with his experienced coaching staff, will turn his young group of talented players led by Dylan Wright (2-1, .309), Layne Sullivan (.306) and Ky Kramer into a fundamentally sound and competitive ballclub.

Lombardi launched his program last year and he and his staff have created a relationship with student-athletes that is seeing participation rise in the program. That participation will create an environment of competition that will continue to drive that program to excellence.

Noah Dostal (.342) is one of the more underrated players in the Metro, and if A.J. Puk stays involved in the program they will be even more of a challenge to contend. Puk has signed with the University of Florida and could leave the Warriors before the season is over.

Steve Fish at Marion returns Trev Biery, who boasted a .403 average and 53 RBIs last year. Biery will be one of the better hitters in the Metro area.

Alex Charipar (.369) and Levi Lochner (6-2) will also be part of a leadership group that knows what is expected from Marion baseball. Operating in a tough WAMAC conference, I think we will see Marion warm to the task as the summer grows.

Xavier returns four of its top five pitchers and inherits a junior class that was quite successful in the sophomore league last summer. Seniors Corbin Woods (3-3, .300) and Zack Brown (3-2, .385) will provide leadership. Pitcher Mitch Keller has already committed to North Carolina and shows great promise.

Competition among returning players and the infusion of some speed from the junior class will provide Coach Dave Schemmel with another contending team.

Kennedy, clearly the strongest program in the Metro area the last five seasons, is coming off another state tournament appearance. Coach Bret Hoyer also will be looking at some inexperience.

The Cougars graduated 30 of their 33 wins from last year's pitching staff. Kennedy has an excellent program, however, and the Cougars had much success at the sophomore level.

Just because some of last year’s juniors couldn’t crack that state qualifying lineup doesn’t mean they won’t put a quality, fundamentally sound, well-executing team on the field. Junior Derek Jacobus (.351) will provide leadership to this Kennedy team. Prairie Coach Matt Thede returns nine lettermen and has a veteran lineup. Many of his seniors have played varsity baseball together since they were sophomores and have met with more success than any other Prairie team.

Led by Brennan Hammer (7-1) on the mound and Ty Mougin (.349), Tyler Butz (.331) and Tyler Votroubek (.429), Prairie should be a force to be reckoned with.

Linn-Mar returns eight lettermen from a state tournament qualifier last season. Pitching was the strength of that team and with Justin Wyant (6-1) and Austin Stroschein (5-0) returning they will be strong on the mound again this season.

Stroschein (.351) and Mitch Stickney (.328) will supply a core for the offense. Coach Chad Lechner has a number of players to build his offense around and add to his pitching staff, although losing Nate Greve to travel ball will hurt the Lions.

My predictions for 2013 are predicated on returning players, talent, program development and many other variables. It is important to remember that my predictions are that of a retired baseball coach, yet in the first two years I wasn't too far off.

Just like you, I have personal biases, but they don’t enter in. I was born a J-Hawk and will always be a J-Hawk. I coached at Kennedy and I coached at Prairie but am far removed from those days.

I think the Metro may have a year where no one is under .500.

Now, let’s create some controversy.

Experience is an issue for Jefferson, Kennedy and Washington. If Washington does not have Puk for the entire season, I think they may fall a step behind Jefferson because I see them as being a bit younger than the J-Hawks.

I would have to put Jefferson a step behind the Cougars if for no other reason than the development level of a program that has operated successfully for so long. Jefferson’s program is beginning anew and Kennedy’s is well established.

Experience issues wane by the third week in June because they will all have more games under their belt. All of these teams will be ready for the tournament and it would not be surprising to see any of them make a run.

Xavier and Marion return a core from last year that will be helpful for them this year. Marion is a touch younger and will have to develop some younger pitching to compete in the WAMAC.

I see Xavier as the sleeper of the Metro, yet most coaches identified Xavier as a contender. They will have a solid core returning and a group of juniors who will provide team competition for playing time, depth and speed that they have not had for some time.

Prairie is continuing to grow. They should have a chip on their shoulder this summer and be out to prove something.

The Hawks have the best lineup in the Metro and Hammer is a quality starter. Prairie will go as far as the rest of its pitching staff will take it.

I think Prairie is a state contender, but it really doesn’t matter what I think, it matters what they think.

Linn-Mar had a taste of the state tournament last year. That will only make them want more.

Wyant and Stroschein are tough to top. They will miss Greve on the mound and at the plate, but they have a core of hitters and they have some younger players that can really stick the ball.

They need some offense and they could use some pitching depth. They have a ton of kids to choose from and they will fill their needs.

Linn-Mar is the team to beat in the Metro for 2013 as it celebrates its brand-new complex.

(Read in-depth stories about each team by clicking the hypertext links above or clicking through to each school's home page)