Andy Urban  
Oklahoma State Director
Follow @PBR_Oklahoma 

In a desire to best cover high school baseball in the state, PBR Oklahoma will be on the road this winter stopping by the practices and gathering information from teams around the state, highlighting top performers and difference makers for each club. Today, PBR Oklahoma will take an in-deep look at the 2017 Santa Fe South Saints.

Team: Santa Fe South
Nickname: Saints
Class: 4A
 Head Coach: Ben Whitehead
Years as head coach at school: 1st
2016 Post­ Season Finish: Lost in Regionals
2017 Preseason Rank: Will be updated upon release

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Alberto Alonso, RHP (2017)
O.J. Franco, SS/RHP (2017) Southern Nazarene
Julio Quintana, OF (2017)
Barak Segura, 1B (2017)
Cesar Escobar, RHP (2018)

Season Outlook
Last season, the Saints took in the early exit in the post season. This year, with seven returning position players and three pitchers with more than 15 innings on the mound a piece the Santa Fe South will look to come back much stronger.  

On the mound, the Saints will be lead by a trio of right-handers. Senior O.J. Franco, a Southern Nazarene commit, will likely fill the number one spot in the rotation. Senior Alberto Alonso and junior Cesar Escobar will also contribute big innings in the starting rotation.

Offensively, Franco will again likely lead the way for Santa Fe South, this time, in the middle of the order. Newcomer Barak Segura will have an immediate impact on the offence. The senior hit over .500 last fall. The speedy Julio Quintana will likely be the table setter at the top of the order.

Defensively, like all good teams, the Saints will be the strongest up the middle. Quintana will captain the outfield patrolling center field. When he is not on the mound, Franco will serve as a strong defender at shortstop. Escobar will provide valuable versatility with the ability to play second base and the outfield effectively.   

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