Today we take a look at two wide open races as we take a look at Class M and Class s baseball races.

 Class M

 The Favorites: Winnisquam, Franklin, Prospect Mountain and Campbell.

 Pitching, pitching and more pitching. If you need to sum up the strength of this division it comes down to some of the best hurlers in the state. Winnisquam is off to their best start in school history behind the one-two combination of Jordan Cote and Ryan Wakefield. Cote won a pitchers dual with Derrick Sylvester (more on him later) and Franklin a week ago and the Bears have enough hitting ( 8 runs per game) to get through the four game Class M tournament unscathed. The Bears have gotten hitting production from Cote, Justin Keith and Kyle Pratt.

 The graduation of nine seniors off of Franklin's Class M championship team that included former Players Lounge member and current Boston College Eagle Derrick Sylvester has opened the door in Class M. A division dominated the last three years by team from the Lakes Region teams (Franklin and Prospect Mountain have won the last three titles) has an opening at the top with seven or eight teams capable of wearing the crown in 2010. Campbell returns key starters and arguably the best pitching rotation in the division, but another Lakes Region team (Winnisquam Regional) has a very good chance to follow in the footsteps of Franklin and former two-time champion Prospect Mountain.

 Today we take a look at Class M baseball in 2010;

 (1)   Somersworth vs. (2) Winnisquam Regional

 Getting to the final game in high school baseball is lot trickier than it is in football or basketball. In baseball you're going to have to juggle two, maybe even three starting pitchers and there is some risk involved as to when you throw your ace and when you hold him back.

 That is why you'll see more 14 seeds over 3 seeds in baseball then any other sport and 9 times out of 10 times it turns out to be a case of a #2 starter getting the nod so the ace of the staff could be held out for a quarterfinal round game that never materializes. There is no worse feeling in sports than losing a game with your best player watching from the sidelines.

 A lot of people feel like this is the flaw with high school baseball. They argue that a lousy team can have one very good pitcher and on any given day beat any team in the state. 15^th seed Pinkerton knocked off 2^nd seeded Goffstown in the first round only to then give up 20 runs in the next round to Keene. The Yankees may be the best team in baseball on most nights (God do I hate writing that...) but every five days the Colorado Rockies throw Ubaldo Jimenz, and every five days they and not the Yankees are the best team in baseball.

 Somersworth's knack for pulling off come-from-behind wins this year came to a grinding halt Saturday, as the Hilltoppers could not figure out Winnisquam's Jordan Cote's fast ball, or his occasional curve, on a mild but damp Saturday morning at Manchester's Merchantsauto.com Stadium.

 The Winnisquam righty no-hit the #1 seeded and unbeaten Hilltoppers, striking out seven while walking two - both in the fourth inning - in a 2-0 win that gave the Bears their first Class M championship in the school's history.

 "Jordan has been the ace of the staff all season long," said Winnisquam head coach Fred Caruso. "And to come in against an undefeated team was too much to ask of him. But the kid has ice water in his veins." The coach added that Cote has a great work ethic, and "was out at 7:30 this morning taking batting practice."