After losing four college baseball signees from last season's team, which was the TAPPS 5A state runner-up, Prestonwood Christian coach Mike Maack thought "it was going to be somewhat of a rebuilding year offensively."

That hasn't been the case. Prestonwood has averaged 9.7 runs and has reached the state semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years. Prestonwood (29-3-1), which has a .374 team batting average, will play Houston Christian in a TAPPS 5A semifinal at 4 p.m. Friday at Waco ISD Complex.

Arizona State signee Jordan Swagerty is hitting .566 with 11 home runs and 62 RBIs. He has also dominated on the mound, going 11-1 with a 0.36 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 772/3 innings.

"He is probably in the top two or three pitchers in the state, and I would combine UIL and private schools," Maack said.

Joe Lozano (.439 average, 32 RBIs), Jerry Owen (.429, five home runs, 46 RBIs) and Dallas Baptist signee Cody Brooks (.363, five home runs, 28 RBIs) have provided help offensively, and Dallas Baptist signee Trey Frazier is 7-0 with a 0.84 ERA.

Since starting UIL competition in 2004, the furthest Jesuit has gone in the playoffs was the regional quarterfinals that first season. Jesuit can match that accomplishment by winning a best-of-3 Class 5A area-round series against District 5-5A champion Keller starting at 7 p.m. Friday at Keller.

Jesuit (15-11-2), the third-place team from District 7-5A, has won four in a row and has averaged 8.8 runs during the winning streak. Jesuit swept last week's first-round series against 8-5A runner-up Arlington as Jake Wyand, Joe Kernodle and Sam Wernick combined for 10 RBIs.

Jesuit also benefited from solid starting pitching. Arlington entered the playoffs having won eight of its last 10 games, and it had averaged 11 runs in those eight wins.

But Kyle Meinhardt pitched a complete game and struck out seven in Jesuit's 7-3 victory Friday, and Zach Walker pitched a complete game in Saturday's 7-3 win.

Walker is 6-2 with a 1.49 ERA, and Meinhardt is 6-4 with a 3.62 ERA. Matt Shortall is hitting .423 with three home runs and 31 RBIs.

Arlington Martin averages 8.4 runs per game and has a .359 team batting average. Jantzen Witte, Oklahoma signee Jordan Imhoff and Brian Ragira have combined for 20 home runs and 106 RBIs. And Witte (.460), Daniel Garcia (.437) and Jay Hiller (.414) hit better than .400.

But a powerful offense isn't the only reason Martin (29-3-1) has won 14 in a row entering a best-of-3 Class 5A area-round series against Southlake Carroll (14-17) starting at 4 p.m. today at Carroll.

Martin has four stellar starting pitching options in Stewart Person, Kevin Winter, Shane Griffin and Mike Hill. They are a combined 26-2.

Person (8-0, 0.66 ERA) struck out nine and earned the win Friday as Martin opened the playoffs with a 7-4 victory over Irving MacArthur. Winter (7-0, 0.97 ERA) pitched a five-inning one-hitter and struck out eight Saturday as Martin completed its two-game sweep with a 10-0 win.

Martin is one of four area teams in the Rivals.com Fab 50 national rankings. Plano West is No. 1, Rowlett is No. 25, Martin is No. 37 and Coppell is No. 49.

Before Clay Wolfe took over as coach, Royse City had just two playoff appearances and no postseason victories.

The program has reached the second round of the playoffs in each of Wolfe's first two years. Royse City (16-8) swept its opening-round series against Princeton and will face Lake Worth in a best-of-3 Class 3A area-round series beginning at 7:30 p.m. today at Lake Dallas.

Scot Lane was 4-for-8 with a home run and seven RBIs against Princeton and pitched a complete game. He is 6-2 with a 2.30 ERA and is hitting .421 with four home runs and 26 RBIs.

Richard Morrison, who was a first-team all-state quarterback in 2007, is 5-2 with a 2.30 ERA and is hitting .352 with three home runs. Scotty Arterberry is hitting .386, and Dalton McAden is hitting .316.