With seven returning starters, including the all-district double play combination of shortstop David Murphy (Houston signee) and second baseman Tim Ferguson (Ole Miss), Beaumont West Brook is expected to battle Baytown Sterling for the crown in District 21-5A’s baseball race this spring.

Dayton has eight starters back from last year’s 17-7 squad and should challenge Nederland in District 22-4A.

Port Neches-Groves, as always, should figure in the hunt in this district. Vidor and Ozen are also getting a lot of attention, with Beaumont Central promising its best club in ages. Little Cypress-Mauriceville, with all-district catcher Jake Rowell its only returning starter, is a question mark.

  Ozen may have the top 1-2 pitching in junior lefty D.D. Lott and senior right hander Destin James and there’s no fall-off in right-hander junior Josh Gardner.

  Vidor shortstop V.J. Bunner and catcher Daniel Teel lead coach Kyle Green’s fourth Pirate ballclub. From its fifth-place finisher of last year, Central returns all-district players in pitcher/infielders Cameron Alexander and Kenneth Allison and catcher Patrick Fobbs.

Seniors Jacob Pickle and Andy Dewey were Dayton’s top pitchers last year and they’re among the many back for the Broncos, who actually played and lost to Nederland in bidistrict in 2006.

Catcher Cody Hussey, outfielder Darby Chilek and shortstop Corey Lemaire are among the leaders at Lumberton, where former Bridge City player Shane Reyenga takes over as coach.

In the area’s 5A loop, now doing business as 21-5A, Sterling and Humble appear to be headed in opposite directions after sharing the 22-5A title last year.

Sterling returns seven position players, plus six of its top seven pitchers. University of Houston signee Chase Dempsay, 22-5A MVP last year, heads a top staff that also includes junior Hunter Cervenka, a lefty who throws in the 90s.

  Humble, meanwhile, may be entering a scary new world. The Wildcats do not return a single starter and lost most of the younger players in their program to the school district split that created Humble Atascocita High.

  Kingwood, which won the 2005 state championship, can never be counted out. The Mustangs are led by senior third sacker Mike Pierce, sophomore shortstop David Tittle and lefty pitcher Chris Churchwell.

  New 5A school Channelview is coming off a trip to the Class 4A state tournament. These Falcons, though, are starting over. Only shortstop Larry Rodriguez returns from last year’s 32-8 team. He was just a freshman last year. And he was all-state.

  Besides Murphy and Ferguson, West Brook coach Jacob Walton has all-district outfielder/lefty pitcher Mark Serna at his disposal. Junior third sacker Thad Lycan and senior outfielder Bobby Armstrong were second-team all-district picks, along with senior pitcher Josiah Svoboda.