Red Mountain, the defending 5A-I softball champs, are going to try and take a new path to the title game this year. The Mountain Lions can do that by starting with a better start.

Each of the last two seasons coach Rich Hamilton's squad has lost the first game of the tournament (Xavier in 2009 and Corona del Sol in 2010) and battled back to reach the final. That's difficult to do as a team must reel off six wins in a row to stave off elimination and advance to the title game.

Red Mountain lost to Basha in the final in 2009, but managed to slip past St. Mary's last year to win the schools's second softball championship.

"I'd like to get to find out what it's like to get to the final and have somebody have to beat us twice than the other way around," Hamilton said. "It's not something you want to make a habit of."

A brief look at the 5A-I  tournament that begins on Saturday April 30:

5A-I first-round pairings (all games at 11 a.m. unless noted): Pool A -- #16 Kofa at #1 Red Mountain; #9 Casa Grande at  #8 Alhambra; #12 Chandler at #5 Mountain Ridge; #13 Skyline at #4 Mesa Mtn. View. Pool B -- #15 Mesquite at #2 Gilbert; #10 Salpointe at #7 Xavier; #11 Dobson at #6 Hamilton; #14 Buena at #3 Basha.

Tournament observations: The three other top seeds after Red Mountain are No. 2 Gilbert, No. 3 Basha and No. 4 Mtn. View. Gilbert has advanced to essentialy the quarterfinals each of the last  three years. The Tigers and pitcher Michelle Duncan would like to make the extra couple steps in that span that has seen them win three region titles and fall one game short this year. Duncan appears to have shaken off the effects of a bruised pitching hand with impressive wins in each of her last two starts. Gilbert's four losses at state the last two years have been by scores of 1-0, 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1. Basha is as hot as any team, the last month. The Bears ran off 14 consecutive wins beginning with a couple triumphs at Desert Mountain's tournament in late March and running through Wednesday. The streak was snapped by a season-ending loss to Mountain View. The return to health of pitcher Kailey Regester and the Bears ability to win close games has made the difference. Its hard to find a hotter team than Mountain View, which won its last seven games of the season and won each by at least three runs. The Toros have never won a state title in softball, but are playing at a championship level at the moment. They've beaten Gilbert and Basha during that stretch and tied for second in the Central Region. Representation: The Central Region has the most qualifiers with five. Next is the Fiesta (four), East Valley (two), Metro (two), Northwest (one), Gila Valley (one) and Southern (one). Best draw:  That belongs to Red Mountain with its first-round game vs. Kofa and either Alhambra or Casa Grande after that. Best first-round matchup:  Mesquite at Gilbert. The teams have played four times this season and Gilbert has won them all. But the Wildcats have played better down the stretch with a couple of its top players back from injury and back in form. Toughest quadrant: The edge goes to Gilbert, Mesquite, Xavier and Salpointe over Hamilton, Dobson, Basha and Buena. Darkhorse: Xavier. Predicted Pool A final: Red Mountain vs. Mountain View. Predicted Pool B final: Gilbert vs. Basha.