Hamilton and Mesquite played for the Division I baseball crown last year. If the 2015 seedings are correct, not much has changed.

The Huskies, winners of four big-school titles in 16 seasons, are the favorite to add a fifth. Mesquite after some early-season trauma, has settled in as force for a postseason run that often is long, but fallen just a game or two short often.

Solid seasons from Liberty, Gilbert, Horizon and Perry can't be discounted as well as a couple others. The critical day Is Tuesday (May 5) when single elimination cuts the field from 16 to 8 and double elimination takes hold from there.

A thumbnail gander at the elite 8 who qualified for that status Tuesday afternoon (May 5) in the second round of the tournament:

No. 1 Hamilton (26-2): What's not to like about the defending champs? The Huskies have won 20 games in a row. Four pitchers (Zane Strand, Zach Pederson, Nick Ohanian and Jake Wong) with between five and seven wins each and ERA's between less than one and no more than 3.00. Strong hitting led by sophomore Nick Brueser (.477 average, 9 HR and 32 RBI) and Cam Cruz (4.16, 3 HR, 41 RBI) leads a lineup that seems to be able to score on the rare occasions pitching isn't normal. Coach Mike Woods pitchers aren't huge strikeout guys so defense needs to be solid. It is -- 33 errors in 28 games.

No. 2 Mesquite (19-9): Mesquite rebounded from early-season losses on the field and season-ending injury to second baseman Parker Holland  before the first ptich was thrown. Coach Jeff Holland's Wildcats have won 12 of their last 13 games. Pitching and defense are the strengths and four seniors have three years of state tournament experience. The pitching trio of Jake Suddreth, Josh Webster and Cobe Karhoff make for depth needed in a double-elimination format.

No. 3 Liberty (24-4): Senior Tyler Wyatt leads the Lions and is not the guy opponents want to see on the mound or at the plate if  the season is on the line. Wyatt is headed to Grand Canyon University to play baseball and was a versatile football player (quarterback, kicker, etc). He sports a 7-1 record with 1.11 ERA. He's batting .578 with 7 HR and 33 RBI. NIck Hamilton and Kyler Murphy add offensive support with better than .400 averages. Pitching depth is decent with Spiro Valasakos (5-1, 2.13 ERA) backing Wyatt.

No. 4 Gilbert (21-8):  A decent chunk of success for Gilbert comes from its battery of pitcher Chase Merriman and catcher Austin Murphy. Merriman has racked up seven wins on the mound and plays a superb center field otherwise. He's a clutch hitter. Murphy shines offensively and defensively. He's thrown out 11 of 15 would-be base stealers and leads the Tigers in homers (7) and RBI (30). Zach Meyer is Gilbert's most consistent hitter and
Jack Ruegge has compiled a 5-1 pitching record in six starts.

No. 6 Valley Vista (25-7): Valley Vista has enjoyed a successful year with a young lineup. Coach Mark Flatten starts five sophomores on a team that ultimately has relied on pitching and defense. Two seniors have been leaders on the field with their play -- pitcher-outfielder Terrence Robertson and Koty Fallon. Robertson iis hitting .430 and has combined with sophomore Tyler Smith for 15 wins and 3 losses. Fallon is batting .391 and also pitches. Junior Andrew Frasier leads the team with a .480 average, 4 HR and 27 RBI. Valley Vista has limited exposure to the top 10 seeds with a 1-2 record vs. Liberty, Mesa Mtn. View and Centennial.

No. 9 Corona del Sol (22-6): Defense is what impresses coach Dave Webb most about his 2015 squad -- the best as a group he's had as coach there since starting in 2006-2007. The Aztecs are a balanced mix across classes -- seven sophomores, five juniors and seven seniors. Senior pitchers Matt Asta and Eric Schwalbe have the most experiene. Sophomore Quinn Flanagan has stepped in and up to post a 6-0 record and 0.96 ERA. Corona scratches and claws for runs. The top hitter has been a beast in the average department -- Ryan Novis hitting .556. Corona won its first-round game over Pinnacle, 2-1, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to stay alive.

No. 10 Centennial (18-12): Centennial survived the first round with a 4-0 win over Mountain Pointe. Staff ace Chaz Montoya lived up to his moniker tossing a four-hit shutout. Montoya has help in the No. 2 spot in the rotation with all-around talent Casey Brown. Brown is 5-1 with a 1.59 ERA and leads the team with a .420 average and 21 RBI. Centennial has played only two teams seeded in the top 10 and are 0-2 (Liberty and Valley Vista).

No. 12 Mountain Ridge (21-9): Mountain Ridge lost seven seniors last year and have relied heavily on three this year. Justin Revels, with one of the top ERA's in the state, got the Mountain Lions to the elite eight by stifling Horizon, 3-2, in the round of 16. The Lions also beat North Canyon, 2-1, in the first round behind sophomore Tommy Lowe and Josh Sieglitz. Revels notched a save in that game. Offensively, junior Cameron Cannon  (.456 Avg), Alex Roth (.451 avg.) and Harry Gard (.443 Avg) have been the mainstays.