By John Cackowski
State Director

Goodbye to the class of 2017

We at PBR Colorado have thoroughly enjoyed scouting the class of 2017 the last four years. 

In the fall of 2014 PBR Colorado released their first 2017 rankings. After scouting numerous games this spring, summer, and fall and putting together events such as the Top Prospect Games, the Preseason All-State, the Unsigned Senior Games and the Centennial State Games in which each event represented some of the best 2017 players in the state participating, we have jumped our initial 2017 rankings from 50 to 225. This is our last 2017 ranking update.

 

Matt Givin 2B / Rock Canyon, CO / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:1 POS:1 Overall Rank:140 POS:1 Moving up to the No. 1 spot is Giving. 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. Givin really jumped on to the scene in 2017. The athletic, wiry pitcher comes from a high 3/4 arm slot. Arm is loose and works well with rest of the body. Brought a low 90's fastball and a wipe out hard curveball that would sit upper 70's to low 80's. The Xavier commit went 5-1 on the season with a 1.48 ERA leading Rock Canyon to the 5A Final 8. In 52 innings Givin struck out 76 batters. Also a starting shortstop, Givin hit .532 with 25 RBI's and 4 homeruns. Givin was PBR Colorado 5A player of the year, and was also the first amateur in Colorado drafted going in the 20th round (#599 overall) to the Miami Marlins

 

 

Caleb Sloan RHP / OF / Regis Jesuit, CO / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:2 POS:1 Overall Rank:141 POS:64 In at No. 2 is Sloan. 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. The classic definition of a right handed power pitcher. Sloan's fastball lived consistently at 94 mph this year touching 97 once, and 96 on a couple of occasions. Sloan was consistently dominant this spring for the Jesuits only to have a minor hiccup in his last start. Sloan ended the year with an 8-2 record with 57 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched. Sloan moves on to the storied Texas Christian baseball program next year.

 

 

Casey Opitz C / Heritage, CO / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:3 POS:1 Overall Rank:189 POS:16 Coming in at 3 is Opitz. 5-foot-11, 175 pounds. Switch hitter. The last of a great line of Opitz brothers graduated this year for Heritage which no doubt will be hard to replace for the Eagles. The switch hitting catcher who is committed to Arkansas has been the quarterback for the Eagles for 4 years. A solid offensive player hitting .410 while driving in RBI's in 2017, but where Opitz is elite is behind the dish. This year only 13 runners attempted a stolen base off Opitz in 2017 with 2 making it safely. In Opitz high school career only 10 of 37 players who attempted to steal a bag off Opitz made it safely. In a game against Rock Canyon this year Opitz backed pick a different runner at 1B, 2B, and 3B. Opitz was also drafted in the 27th Round (#822 overall) by the Cleveland Indians.

 

 

James Notary RHP / Broomfield, CO / 2017 Rankings  State Rank:4 POS:2 Overall Rank:237 POS:93 Coming in at 4 is Notary. 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. Givin really jumped on to the scene in 2017. The athletic, wiry pitcher comes from a high 3/4 arm slot. Arm is loose and works well with rest of the body. Brought a low 90's fastball and a wipe out hard curveball that would sit upper 70's to low 80's. The Xavier commit went 5-1 on the season with a 1.48 ERA leading Rock Canyon to the 5A Final 8. In 52 innings Givin struck out 76 batters. Also a starting shortstop, Givin hit .532 with 25 RBI's and 4 homeruns. Givin was PBR Colorado 5A player of the year, and was also the first amateur in Colorado drafted going in the 20th round (#599 overall) to the Miami Marlins

 

Here is a peak at the Top 15

RANK	NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
1	Matt Givin	CO	Rock Canyon	2017	2B	Xavier
2	Caleb Sloan	CO	Regis Jesuit	2017	RHP	Texas Christian
3	Casey Opitz	CO	Heritage	2017	C	Arkansas
4	James Notary	CO	Broomfield	2017	RHP	Texas Christian
5	Jacob Hilton	CO	Heritage	2017	RHP	New Mexico
6	Liam Eddy	CO	Brighton	2017	RHP	Wichita State
7	Blake Rohm	CO	Broomfield	2017	RHP	Virginia
8	Drake Davis	CO	Ralston Valley	2017	RHP	Arizona State
9	John Sorensen	CO	Rocky Mountain	2017	SS	Kansas State
10	Tyson Hays	CO	Grandview	2017	C	Illinois State
11	Jonah Jenkins	CO	Chaparral	2017	C	Dartmouth
12	Jack Winkler	CO	Chatfield	2017	SS	San Francisco
13	Roderick (RJ) Dabovich	CO	Pueblo West	2017	RHP	Wichita State
14	Conner Nantkes	CO	Cherokee Trail	2017	LHP	Washington State
15	Jordan Stubbings	CO	Legend	2017	3B	Colorado Mesa University