The Georgia High School Association has announced that opening day of the 2021 season will commence on Feb. 15. Programs were allowed to begin practicing in an official capacity on Jan. 18, 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 2021.Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we will be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2021 spring season, touching on programs spanning multiple state classifications, counting down the official PBR Georgia Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Team: Greenbrier
Preseason Rank: 17
2020 Record: 9-3
Region: 8-5A
GHSA Classification: 5A
Head Coach: David Barnes
Returning Starters: 7
Returning Pitchers: 6

X-FACTOR
Brayden Collett. The Wolfpack only return one arm who saw significant time on the mound. If they are to be successful, they will need an arm to step up. One prospect who can do this, and do this in a big way is Georgia Southern commit RHP/OF Brayden Collett (2021). Collett has an electric arm that he did not get a chance to showcase on the mound last season.

Brayden Collett

A highly athletic 6-foot, 180-pounds, his arm works clean as he rears back and lets it fly out of his hand. Over the summer we saw Collett routinely touch 93 and 94 mph an elite spin rate. A bit raw on the mound, since he started pitching over the past year, there is a ton of potential to work given his overall athletic makeup and arm strength. 

How Greenbrier uses Collett remains to be seen. He is more than capable as a closer with his powerful stuff, a role he pitched out in the summer. Seeing him walk out to get three outs is sure to give any coach total confidence. However, the Wolfpack may need Collett as a part of the rotation along with C/RHP David Bell (2022).

OUTLOOK
Greenbrier returns virtually every single major contributor on the offensive side, but they did lost three of their four top arms. Bell is the only returning arm who saw valuable experience on the mound, and he should be ready to lead the rotation, along with Collett. Bell is about as consistent as you can get on the mound. He works at lightning quick pace, making it very uncomfortable for hitters. Bell's fastball sits in the upper-80s and he has a swing and miss 11/5 curveball. The Wolfpack will definitely need some new arms to step up though if they are to be successful.

David Bell

The two-headed monster of Bell and Collett will be leading the charge at the plate as well. The two led the Wolfpack in numerous offensive categories last season. They will get more support on the offensive side of things than they will on the mound though. 

1B Dalton Wesley (2021) has been a multi-year starter on varsity and will be a big run producer once again, along with OF AJ Trupp (2022). Wesley and Trupp tied for the team lead in RBIs with nine apiece. Trupp is a physical athlete who has a chance to have a big impact this season. INF Jackson Smith (2022) and DH Wheeler Cason (2021) will also look to build upon successful season's in 2020.

The lineup is going to be deep and will get only deeper with the arrival of C/RHP Luca Perriello (2024). Perriello is one of the top ranked 2024s in the state, and is a do it all type player. He is athletic enough to play any position on the infield. A switch-hitter, he can drive the ball from both sides of the plate. And he can hop on the mound, running his fastball up to 86.

Luca Perriello

Make sure to follow @PBRGeorgia on Twitter for the most-up-to-date coverage throughout the 2021 season.

Find more information on the 2021 Wolfpack below:

+ Full Schedule
+ Team Website
+ Team Twitter

Preseason Power 25 Countdown