By John Cackowski 
State Director

We're looking back at the Top 15 most viewed stories on our website from the year of 2015. Our 7th most viewed story in 2015 was our updated 2017 rankings story on 11/12/15 with 1,160 total views. To also look at the biggest risers in the 2017 rankings story Click Here

John Cackowski
State Director 

In the fall of 2014 PBR Colorado released our first ever 2015, 2016, and 2017 rankings. In the past year Prep Baseball Report Colorado has had the opportunity to cover amateur baseball like no other organization has ever been able to do before in the state of Colorado. Between scouting numerous games from our last 2017 rankings posted in Janurary, and recently having a great opportunity to see more 2017 grads at the Top Prospect Games, we were able to move our 2017 ranking list to 110 players. Our next 2017 rankings will be posted after our Preseason All-State event next February where we expect to see many more new players that will shake up the overall rankings. 

Staying at No. 1 is RHP Caleb Sloan of Regis Jesuit (No. 30 overall). 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. Sloan attacks the zone with 89 mph fastballs that has a heavy feel to it. 2-seam fastball has good late run. Good athlete. Ran a 4.19 home to first time and had 87 mph exit velo. On pace to be very elite pitcher and quarterback for the Jesuits. Look for Sloan to get an opportunity this spring to become a dominant force on the mound.

A player that has moved up the board the most in the 2017 class this fall is 6-foot-3, 180-pound RHP and recent Wichita State commit Liam Eddy out of Brighton High School. Eddy threw multiple no-hitters for Team Colorado this fall, and his fastball has jumped into the high 80's touching 90 at times.  

Coming in at 3 in our rankings is switch hitting catcher Casey Opitz of Heritage High School. A 5-foot-11, 155 pound junior who burst on the scene this spring catching for the Eagles.  The 1.91 pop-time in the game we saw made him one of the top catchers in the Centennial State Games, and recently he was a force behind the plate at the Fall Diamond Classic picking off runners off the bases left and right.  Opitz is quiet behind the plate and blocks balls in the dirt very well. Has been starting for Heritage since his freshman year, and also hits 2-hole for the Eagles. Optiz is already getting looks from big time D-1 colleges.

Coming in at No. 4 is 6-foot, 185 pound 3B/RHP John Sorensen of Rocky Mountain. Bats left and throws right. We came away extremely impressed with Sorensen after we saw him play in the Junior Sunbelt Classic. He had a great tournament as the only 2017 player who made the team. Hit in the middle of the order for Rocky Mountain in 2015, and expect him to be a force offensively in 2016. 

Some of the biggest risers in our rankings were C Andrew Chavez of Cherry Creek High School moving up about 25 spots to No. 24, and new to the top 10 is C Tyson Hays of Grandview High School moving from 16 to 9. 

Enough Reading about them to see the list click here.

Here is a sneak peak at the top 10

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Caleb Sloan	CO	Regis Jesuit	2017	RHP
2	Liam Eddy	CO	Brighton	2017	RHP	Wichita State
3	Casey Opitz	CO	Heritage	2017	SS
4	John Sorensen	CO	Rocky Mountain	2017	3B
5	James Notary	CO	Broomfield	2017	RHP	Texas Christian
6	Austin Chouinard	CO	Regis Jesuit	2017	SS
7	Luke Kuberski	CO	Green Mountain	2017	OF
8	Matt Givin	CO	Rock Canyon	2017	3B
9	Tyson Hays	CO	Grandview	2017	C
10	Connor Nantkes	CO	Cherokee Trail	2017	LHP