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Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the Top 50 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage. 

Like any preseason ranking for any sport, last year our list created a lot of fun conversations, debate, and opinions among players, coaches, and families. To see what we got right, and what we got wrong in 2017 Click Here

What makes our list unique is it combines all classifications (1A through 5A), and leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the Top 50 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage.

Factors that are considered when creating the Top 50 List are the following:

- How many current players are returning that are in PBR Colorado rankings
- How many overall players committed or non-committed are returning
- How many starting pitchers are returning
- Success the previous season
- History of success in the program

* We expect the teams in the Top 50 Countdown will compete for at least a district playoff spot in 2018

Team No. 38: Grand Junction Central Warriors

2018 Preseason Rank: 39
2017 Preseason Rank: NA
2017 Record: 13-8
Conference: 5A/4A Southwest 
CHSAA Class: 5A
Head Coach: Chuck Yost
2017 Playoff Run: Lost in 5A District 5 Championship 13-3 to Legend
2017 Final Rank: 45
Returning Offensive Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 2
Returning Innings on Mound: 66
Returning RBI's returning: 97

STAT RAT: 
When the Warriors got to league play, they had 4 tough losses in a row to rivals Fruita, and Grand Junction. 3 games were lost by one run. In 3 of the 4 games they had leads from the 4th inning on. If they win 2 of those games they win the Southwest league, and would have had a much higher seed in district play. 

X-FACTORS: 
Pitching. Last year the Warriors gave up 174 hits in 134 total innings pitched carrying a 4.65 ERA. Problem is Kelchner was 6-0 with a 2.33 ERA in 45 innings pitched. Now that he's graduated someone will have to step up. 

BOTTOM LINE: 
The Warriors started the year off 7-1 and were hot going into league but hit a snag with some tough close losses to rivals Fruita and Grand Junction which sent them on a 5 game losing streak. They would recover, and qualified for the 5A Region 5 districts. After winning the first game against a tough Fairview team, they lost in the district championship game 13-3 to a then hot Legend coming one win away from making their first Final 8. They have a solid young core coming back who gained a lot of experience in 2017. Expect them to be in same spot in 2018, but will have to wait to see if that experience paid off to get through districts. 

 

Key Player Lost

 

 

Key Players Coming Back

Cade Balleweg OF / Central, CO / 2019 5-foot-6, 160 pounds. Athletic outfielder who is also a running back. Last year hit .473 with an OBA of .552. Drove in 14 and scored 19 runs. Also stole 7 bases.

 

 

Paul Salazar C / Central, CO / 2019 5-foot-8, 150 pounds. Last year hit .400 with a .449 OBA. Drove in 10 runs while scoring 12.

 

 

Ryan Kirby SS / Grand Junctin Central, CO / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 103 / POS: 13 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. Bats and throws right. Also plays basketball. Had a solid 2017 hitting .451 with a .494 OBA. Had 32 hits on the season driving in 24 runs while scoring 25. Has some pop in bat hitting 13 doubles, 4 triples, and one homerun.

 

 

Seth Barker C / Central, CO / 2018 5-foot-10, 155 pounds. Bats and throws right. Hit .299 in 2017 with a .351 OBA. Drove in 11 runs.

 

 

Ryan Weller 3B / OF / Central, CO / 2018 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. Also plays quarterback. Last year hit .354 with a .452 OBA driving in 13 while scoring 22 runs.

 

Players That Could Also Make an Impact

 

Dakota Dunham RHP / 1B / Central, CO / 2018 6-foot-5, 245 pounds. Last year pitched 24 innings going 0-3 with a 2.85 ERA striking out 21 batters

 

 

Caleb Dwyer RHP / 1B / Central, CO / 2018 6-foot, 215 pounds. Pitched 41 innings in 2017 going 5 and 4 on the season. Struck out 35 batters.