The Georgia High School Association has announced that opening day of the 2020 season will commence on Feb. 10. Programs were allowed to begin practicing in an official capacity on Jan. 13, meaning it's time for the PBR Georgia staff to break down the high school baseball scene in the state in the countdown to the first pitch thrown in 2019.Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we will be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2019 spring season, touching on programs spanning multiple state classifications, counting down the official PBR Georgia Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Our Preseason Power 25 rankings coverage starts today.

Team: Greenbrier
Preseason Rank: 14
2019 Record: 22-10
Region: 3-6A 
2019 Region Finish: 2nd
GHSA Classification: 6A
Head Coach: David Barnes
Playoff Run: 2nd Round
Returning Starters: 5
Returning Pitchers: 4

X-Factor
Coach David Barnes will need his juniors and sophomores to step-up and add depth to the lineup if they are to have another 20+ win season. SS/RHP Brayden Collett (2021) has made massive strides in his overall game. An athletically built prospect at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, he is capable of sitting in the upper-80s with his fastball. There is no doubt Collett will be relied upon to eat up innings on the mound, in addition to being the every day starting shortstop. 

Brayden Collett

1B Dalton Wesley (2021) and UTL David Bell (2022) are back and will take on a larger role this season. Wesley was impressive last season as the sophomore starting first baseman.  Bell could very well be in for a breakout year. We got a good look at him this summer and fall at LakePoint, where he was a standout performer. On the mound, he operates at in the mid-80s, while mixing in a 12/6 breaking ball and straight changeup. At the plate, Bell consistently works the gaps and is an extra base hitting machine.

David Bell

Collett, Wesley and Bell will be leaned on to help produce runs for the Wolfpack, something they struggled with last season. Look for AJ Trupp, Jackson Smith, Stone Gray, and Carson Murray to make an impact as well, in their first year on varsity. 

Outlook
The loss of RHP Bryce Melear (2019; Georgia) will hurt the pitching staff, but Coach Barnes believes his team has the pieces to replace the standout right-hander, plus some. Leading the staff will be one of the top pitchers in Georgia and 2020 MLB Draft prospect, RHP Chase Dollander (Georgia Southern). Dollander is capable of sitting in the low-90s with his fastball. However, what really sets him apart is his changeup, one of the best in the state. He has advanced feel for the pitch as he can pull the string back on it and sink it late out of the zone. It is a true swing and miss type. Dollander also has a curveball and slider that are above-average pitches.

Chase Dollander

Dollander will be back up by fellow senior pitchers: LHP Avery Boyd (2020) and RHP Sam Roebuck (2020). Both Boyd and Roebuck pitch into the mid-80s and will help fill the void Melear left.

The pitching staff will be the strong suit of the Wolfpack. They have the three seniors coming back, who are experienced. And then there are the two-way capabilities of Collett and Bell that will come in handy. 

Offensively, OF Dalton Cater (2020), Collett, Wesley, and Bell will have to carry the offensive load. Last season, the pitching staff was only able to take Greenbrier to the second round of the playoffs. This season will likely be a similar story. If Greenbrier is to make a run deep into May, their offense will have to come through and provide enough run support for the pitching staff.

Dalton Wesley

Make sure to follow @PBRGeorgia on Twitter for the most-up-to-date coverage throughout the 2020 season.

Find more information on the 2020 Wolfpack below:

+ Full Schedule
+ Team Website
+ Team Twitter

Preseason Power 25 Countdown