2017 Pre-Season All-PBR 1st Team

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Cooper is a Clemson commit with a pop time that gets down into the low 1.9 range and a very strong arm. He is a strong hitter with a power tool and good speed for a catcher…Perry is a High Point commit and has a very dangerous middle-of-the lineup power bat with a ton of pure strength and a clean exchange behind the dish…Solomon is a Vanderbilt recruit and has a projectable frame. He is a patient switch hitter with power from both sides of the plate, behind the dish he has a quick, clean release and consistently gets his pops into the 1.9 range.

Brown is a VCU commit with an athletic frame and will be an integral part of Cox’s offense this spring. He has a power/speed combination and hit for the cycle last March…Dragum is a Virginia commit and has been starting at second base and leading off for the Hawks since his freshman year. Look for him to kick over to short this season and move into the middle of the order as well as contribute on the mound, where he has a high-80s fastball…Doherty is a George Washington commit and provided the thump in the middle of Atlantic Shores’ lineup in 2016 as the Seahawks reached the VISAA Division I Championship game. Look for him to again provide home run power as Shores looks to run deep in the playoffs again…Morris is a Virginia commit and the top prospect in the Virginia/DC. Look for him to hold down shortstop with his strong defensive skills and provide an important bat in what looks to be a good season for the Miller School…Polansky is a Virginia Tech recruit and was one of the main pieces in Hickory’s potent 2016 offense, look for him to again provide a constant home run threat as the Hawks look to build off of 2016 and advance deeper in the 5A South Regional…Simon is a James Madison recruit and should be the centerpiece in a Benedictine lineup that should be one of the more potent attacks in VISAA Division I. Simon also will likely add some production on the mound as well.

Boggs is a VMI recruit and is a returning First Team All-State performer. Look for him to again hit in the middle of a Bobcat batting order that will be one of the best in 6A and hit for a high average with plenty of doubles mixed in…Hartigan is a true five-tool athlete, bringing plenty of speed and a big arm to the Millbrook outfield as well as a dynamic bat that has the potential to carry an offense for weeks at a time when hot…Ludowig is one of the most dynamic two-way talents in Virginia and is a Wake Forest recruit. His primary role will be anchoring the middle of Briar Woods’ lineup and manning centerfield again this spring. Look for him to have an expanded role on the mound where he can run his fastball up to 90 from the left side…Simms is an Old Dominion commit is a talented defender in the outfield with a strong arm. At the plate he has a short simple swing with bat speed, consistently barreling the ball, making him a threat to hit for a very high average.

Abbott is a Virginia recruit and has been Halifax County’s top arm since his sophomore year. He led them to the 5A North semifinals last year, narrowly missing a State Tournament berth, look for the Comets’ ace to get them over the hump this year as he can shut down any offense in Virginia…Haney is a William & Mary recruit with a big arm who has flashed his ace potential during the last two years and is the key piece on the pitching staff for a Covenant School team that is poised to challenge for a VISAA Division II championship…Justice emerged as Collegiate School’s ace last year as the Cougars captured the VISAA Division I State Championship. Justice still has a ton of untapped potential in the tank and the NC State recruit could easily be the top prospect in the Virginia Class of 2017 by the end of the season…Perdue is a Virginia recruit and has been the second part of Grassfield’s two-headed monster on the mound since his sophomore year. This year, he will move into the top spot in the Grizzlies’ rotation and he brings a fastball that has reached 91 and a frame with plenty of room to add to it…Pittman is a St. Bonaventure recruit and was Highland School’s ace in 2016 as the Hawks hosted a VISAA playoff game for the first time in a while. Look for Pittman to again be a key piece for Highland as they look to advance deeper in a stacked Division II this spring…Shigaki-Than is a Duke recruit and might have the best individual pitch that will be thrown in Virginia or DC this spring in his breaking ball. He has a fastball that is consistently high 80s and is capable of piling up strikeouts with his outstanding curve…Showalter was the third part of Turner Ashby’s dominant 2016 rotation. He moves into the number one role this spring and brings outstanding command to go with a heavy sinking fastball and a hard swing and miss slider that should allow him to pile up strikeouts while posting an anemic ERA…Whitten is a Virginia recruit and has a fastball that was 89-91 at Super 60 this year, showing two breaking balls and a good change-up. He has a frame that is still relatively lanky and he can continue to add velocity throughout the season. He has the ability to shut down any team he faces and his starts against Battlefield’s offense should be standing room only this spring.

Barker is a Liberty recruit and will again play a major two-way role for the Eagles this spring. He will likely hit in the top third of the lineup and should be Colonial Forge’s top option on the mound, he flashed his ace potential frequently last year, no time more so than his shutout of Hylton in the Conference 4 Championship game. On the mound his fastball got up to 88 last fall and he has very good command…Burton is a Davidson commit and will again be a major piece on what will be a very good Covenant School team in 2017. Look for Burton to again hit near the top of the order and hit for a high average while contributing significant innings on the mound for the Eagles...Schroeder was First Team All-State in 2016 as a sophomore and he looks to build on that in 2017. He is a North Carolina commit and will be Loudoun County’s ace and three stick, playing shortstop when not pitching. He is a dynamic talent that hit for the cycle last year in a game that he threw five scoreless innings, expect much of the same this spring…Stock is an Old Dominion commit and was one of the main offensive pieces as Greenbrier Christian repeated as VISAA Division II State Champion in 2016. His relief appearance on the mound was a preview of what to expect from him this year, when he will take on more of a two-way role. Look for Stock to pitch in the high 80s with a strikeout slider as well as hit for high average and power in the middle of the Gators’ lineup.

Check back next week as we release our Pre-Season All-PBR Honorable Mention and begin to preview each classification, starting with VHSL 1A and 2A.