Tomorrow on 1-4-18 we will begin our Top 50 preseason ranking countdown. Like any preseason ranking for any sport, last year our list created a lot of fun conversations, debate, and opinions among players, coaches, and families.

What makes our list unique is it combines all classifications (1A through 5A), and leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the Top 50 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage.

Factors that are considered when creating the Top 50 List are the following:

- How many current players are returning that are in PBR Colorado rankings
- How many overall players committed or non-committed are returning
- How many starting pitchers are returning
- Success the previous season
- History of success in the program

Let's take a look back at our 2017 Preseason Rankings and see how close the Prep Baseball Report staff for Colorado did.

To see the 2017 Top 50 Preseason Rankings and write-ups Click Here

What We Got Right in 2017

- 36 of our Top 50 teams last year made the district playoffs (72%)

- 18 out of the Top 20 teams last year made the playoffs (90%)

- 26 out of the Top 30 teams last year made the playoffs (86%)

- 8 of our Top 16 overall teams hosted a district site 

- 17 of the Top 32 overall teams played in a District Championship Game

- Our highest ranked team at 2A (Paonia) won the 2A State Championship

- Our highest ranked team at 4A (Valor Christian) won the 4A State Championship

- Our 2nd highest ranked team at 5A (Rocky Mountain) won the 5A State Championship, and they defeated our 3rd highest ranked team at 5A (Broomfield)

On The Fringe of What We Got Right in 2017

 - 5 of our Top 10 made the Final 8 (Rocky Mountain, Broomfield, Valor Christian, Cherry Creek, Pueblo West)

What We Got Wrong in 2017

5A 2016 Champion Cherokee Trail started the year ranked No. 1 and did not make the playoffs finishing the year at 8-11. 

 - We missed on the "Mountains"..Mountain Range and Mountain Vista were not in the preseason Top 50 last spring, and Mountain Range was a 5A District Host site, and so was Mountain Vista, with Mountain Vista making it to the Final 4 at 5A. 

- Denver East and Denver North were left out of the Top 50 and both made it to the District Championship games at the 5A and 4A level. 

- Eaglecrest, who won 15 games in 2017, was outside the Top 50

- Monarch finished the year 7-12 well outside the Top 50 after beginning the year at 29

- Chaparral finished the year 6-13 well outside the Top 50 after beginning the year at 30

- Smoky Hill finished the year 5-14 well outside the Top 50 after beginning the year at 50