Colorado Year in Review: 6th Most Viewed Story

December 26, 2014

By John Cackowski
State Director

We're looking back at the top 15 most viewed stories on our website from the year of 2014. Our 6th most viewed story was the representation by Colorado in the National Prep Baseball Report Rankings for the class of 2017. Below you can read the entire story.

By John Cackowski and PBR Staff
State Director

Recently PBR Colorado released their first 2017 rankings. The ranking went up to 35, and will expand to 50, and 75 before the spring season ends. What states are starting to recognize is the high talent Colorado has, and as a state Colorado is starting to lose it's reputation as the "undiscovered country" in the high school baseball world. That is evident by the power house colleges that are starting to tap into our state, reaching down now into the 2016 classes for early commitments. In PBR's top 100 overall 2017 rankings, Colorado had 3 players in the overall top 80.

The landscape of the updated overall Class of 2017 player rankings have changed dramatically, chiefly because the landscape of the Prep Baseball Report state-specific coverage area has expanded since the last update.

It is important to note that the PBR overall rankings only reflect the states that we intimately know from our boots-on-the-ground scouting staff. States that we are not currently in – and even new states that we are in, but don’t have a proper handle on all the prospects – are not included in the overall rankings.

The updated Top 100 Class of 2017 rankings now includes Tennessee, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa and Massachusetts, in addition to our long-established states. Florida prospects are not yet included in the PBR overall rankings.

No. 1 2017 for Colorado is RHP Caleb Sloan of Regis. At 6-foot-2, 180-pounds. Sloan came in at No. 19 on the overall top 100 list. Sloan is already a strong physical pitcher who is still growing into his body. Sloan has seen his fastball go from the lower 80's last June to 88 mph on multiple occasions this winter during Slammers Arm Velocity Camp. Caleb also plays football and is a quarterback for Regis. As he gets back into baseball shape for the spring and with his frame he projects to potentially be in the lower 90's by end of his sophomore year. On pace to be very elite pitcher and quarterback for the Jesuits. Between No. 4 2015 Brent Schwarz, No 1. 2016 Bo Weiss, and No. 1 2017 Caleb Sloan Regis should have a pretty dominate force on the mound in 2015.

No. 2 2017 for Colorado is Heritage switch-hitting catcher Casey Opitz. Opitz came in at number 75 overall. At 5-foot-11, 145-pounds Opitz is still growing but shows great action and potential behind the dish and has a mature approach at the plate. Coming from a talented baseball family where his two older brothers Jake and Shane who were both middle infielders and both drafted, Casey takes on the catching position and has a great chance to follow in his brother's footprints at Heritage.

No. 3 2017 for Colorado is Jacob Arellano of Mountain Range HS. Arellano came in at No. 80 overall. Arellano is a 5-foot-8, 140-pounds, right-handed hitting MIF/RHP and impressed us with very good skills showcasing good hands and range with good accuracy throwing the ball 84 mph across the diamond from shortstop at the Southern Colorado Prospect Games. Hits from an athletic stance with minimal load, producing short uphill bat path with good bat speed and extension. On the mound Arellano showed same promise with a loose, 3/4 arm slot with level shoulders and squared, in-line delivery toward plate. Fastball topped out at 82 mph sitting at 80 and curveball was 68 mph with late breaking 11/5 action. Ran a 7.13 60. and had a 4.53 home to first time.

Colorado will update their 2017 rankings after the Preseason All-State event on 2/22/15.

To see the entire top 100 2017 rankings click here.