By Todd Hveem
Chronicle correspondent

Kingwood head baseball coach Kelly Mead watched in horror as Milby hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat the Mustangs 1-0 in their third, and final, Region III-5A playoff game.

Up until that point, Kingwood pitcher Joel Rinehart was pitching a no-hitter.

“It was a very tough way to end the season,” said Mead, who watched the Mustangs end the 2009 campaign 16-12. “But we feel pretty good about our chances this season. We have some leadership back. Obviously, like everybody else, we also have some kids who are unproven. But that is what preseason tournaments are for.”

Kingwood, which was 4-2 entering this past weekend’s Klein ISD tournament, will conclude non-district play against the state-ranked The Woodlands Highlanders on Tuesday.

Next year, The Woodlands and Kingwood will play in the same district.

“We scrimmaged The Woodlands (before the start of the season),” Mead said. “I really liked the way our kids competed against them. We will see if that means anything on Tuesday.”

The Mustangs own victories over Clear Creek (14-4), Cy Woods (3-2), Baytown Sterling (15-0) and Westbury (7-3).

The Mustangs also have lost to nationally ranked Houston Christian (10-2) and traditional power Klein Collins (10-5).

The Mustangs return four starters from last year’s team in preseason All-Greater Houston shortstop Cody Perkins, pitcher/center fielder Blake Whitter, second baseman Kyle Finnegan and first baseman Jared Pinson.

Perkins and Finnegan have signed college scholarships with Texas State University.

“Cody will play shortstop and hit in the lead-off spot,” Mead said. “Blake will pitch and play center field. They both will play very key roles for us this season.”

Mead said Atascocita, which lost to Houston Christian 18-2, is the team to beat in the District 19-5A race.

“Next year, it will be a totally different story (with The Woodlands and College Park coming into the district),” Mead said. “But this year, Atascocita will be the big rival for us.”

Mead had a hard time believing the University Interscholastic League would ship the two Class 5A schools in Humble ISD (Kingwood and Atascocita) into Region II and leave the three 4A schools (Humble, Summer Creek and Kingwood Park) in Region III.

“I don’t know if we will ever go back to Region III now,” Mead said. “But it is going to make for one heck of a baseball district, I know that.”

Mead expects Humble to challenge Atascocita and Kingwood during its final season of Class 5A competition.

“(Humble head coach) David Sitton is healthy again,” Mead said. “I think they are going to have a chance.

“Atascocita hurt them (when it opened). But the way they coach those kids, they have a chance.”

He said any of the Aldine ISD schools are capable of pulling off an upset.

“If a Kingwood or Atascocita doesn’t show up, any one of the Aldine schools could sneak up on them,” Mead said. “I don’t think there is one Aldine school better than the other. But they all compete and play hard.”

Mead expects newcomer Michael Sheen to have an impact at third base and on the mound, while Greg Williamson, who is the quarterback on the Mustangs’ football team, will be used in a number of different roles.

“He is a great utility player for us,” Mead said of Williamson. “He can play right field, second base, you name it. He throws right and hits left. He really likes to play the game.”

Sophomore Jack Finnegan should also see some time on the mound.

“We are young. We have four or five sophomores on the team,” Mead said. “But we do have some good, young talent.”