By Chris Fuller
PBR Kentucky

It’s that time of year again. The 2017 high school baseball season is upon us, and of course that means it’s time for us to release our Preseason Power 25. We’re going to shake it up a little this year with a preview of all 25 teams broken down into increments of five over a series of articles.

After combing through last year’s stats and factoring in returning players, here is a look at the teams ranked No. 6-10 in our Preseason Power 25.

6. Johnson Central
The Golden Eagles return nearly their entire roster from last season’s 33-10 squad who lost in the quarterfinals of the State Tournament to McCracken County. If you like pitching, Johnson Central has plenty of it with a pair of junior right-handers, Braxton Kelly (Marshall commit) and Tate Meade (Kentucky Wesleyan commit). Add sophomore Gabe Ferrell (Eastern Kentucky commit) and the Golden Eagles are set for the foreseeable future. After hitting everything in sight last year, senior Geordon Blanton (Marshall Univ) returns to lead the offense that will see big contributions from sophomore Blake Delong and freshman Cody Rice, both who played key roles in the starting lineup last season.

7. Scott County
Coming off an eleventh region championship and State quarterfinal appearance, the Cardinals have talent all over the roster and return their top two arms from last season in a pair who are two of the top lefties in their respective classes in sophomore Jordan Fox and junior Sam Sutton. Add the emergence on the mound of sophomore Trent Fox, and you have a trio of arms that will carry Scott County for the next few years. Junior transfer, sidearm RHP Brynin Boykin will play a key role for the pitching staff as well along with junior lefty Kaleb Roark. Senior OF Cam Hill (Univ of Kentucky) returns to lead the offense that should see big contributions from Sutton and sophomores Trace Willhoite and Kyle Harbison.

8. North Oldham
A young roster that included an eighth grader, two freshmen, and several sophomores led to a 15-20 record last spring for the Mustangs, but the experience of those young players, coupled with the addition of transfer RHP Joseph Boyle (Notre Dame), should allow for a much more successful season in 2017. At 6-foot-5, 200-pounds, Boyle is one of the top RHP’s in the country and will draw plenty of attention from pro scouts with a fastball that he runs up to 96 mph. Senior OF/RHP Bryce Barber (Asbury Univ) and sophomore RHP/1B Justin Doyle will be counted on heavily on the mound behind Boyle. Along with Doyle and Barber, look for the offense to be led by senior Cameron Masterman (Univ of Louisville), junior Seth Bacon, sophomore Alex Atkins, and freshman Logan Beard.

9. South Oldham
The Dragons compiled a 24-11 record last season, but a disappointing loss in the first round of the eighth region tournament abruptly ended their season. A trio of seniors will lead the offensive attack in C Tanner Johnson (Univ of Kentucky), 1B/RHP Will Moriarty (Murray State), and OF Devin Bishop. Moriarty exploded on the mound this winter after suffering through some injuries that kept him off the mound last season. The 6-foot-5 right-hander tops at 94 mph with a hard breaking ball. Moriarty will pair with junior RHP Brennan LaBarbera to form the top end of a very formidable pitching staff. Two young players to keep an eye on are sophomores Cameron Revolt and Matthew Reaves.

10. Greenup County
The Musketeers compiled an unreal 39-2 record last spring in advancing to the State Tournament for the second consecutive season where they ran into eventual champ St. Xavier in a first round defeat. Four starters are gone from that team, but Greenup returns enough to make them one of the favorites again in the sixteenth region. Jaxon Keeton, Tristan Downing, and Ryan Lambert return 23 wins on the mound from last year’s squad. The offense will be led by the top SS in the 2018 class in switch-hitter Gage Hughes (Cincinnati commit) and another highly-ranked player in junior 2B Kyle Gammon. Also look for returning OF Isaiah Greene to make big contributions to the offense as well.