By Matt Byrd/Chris Fuller
Tennessee Director of Scouting/Director of Operations

The time has come to release our initial Class of 2018 player rankings.  With three years of high school baseball left for prospects that just began their sophomore year, one thing is certain. These rankings will change and expand significantly as players continue to develop and we continue to go through the process of scouting, evaluating, and gathering information on prospects around the state.  With two more fall events on the schedule for Class of 2018 players, the rankings will be revisited again in late October for possible updates and expansion. For now, we have compiled our top 15 players in the 2018 class.

Ryder Green (3B/RHP, Hardin Valley Academy) sits at the top of the class. Green, a high-level two-way player who is committed to Kentucky, helped lead the 15U Team USA to the gold medal this summer. He features a fastball that has been up to 89 mph to go along with good power at the plate. Green will play a key role for Hardin Valley this coming spring as they look to defend their Class AAA State title.

Bass Cooper (1B, Knoxville Central HS) checks in at No. 2. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound, advanced switch hitter impressed at the PBR Future Games with a home run from the left side of the plate. Cooper’s power game is starting to take shape from both sides of the plate, and he is drawing big interest from several high profile Division I programs.

Tate Kolwyck (SS, Arlington HS) occupies the No. 3 position. Kolwyck committed to Vanderbilt last week. He features good athletic ability as an advanced defender and had a big summer with the Dulin Dodgers offensively.

Luke Murphy (RHP, East Robertson HS), who was one of two Class of 2018 players on the Team Tennessee roster for the PBR Future Games, checks in at No. 4. At 6-foot-3, 160-pounds, Murphy’s upside is obvious. He ran his fastball up to 86 mph at the Future Games with a 72-74 mph curveball. Murphy’s arm works well, and there is certainly more velocity in the tank for the projectable right-hander.

Ethan Smith (RHP, Mt. Juliet HS) rounds out the top five. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-hander  has a good pitcher's frame with a fastball that reached into the mid-80's as a freshman for Mt. Juliet last season. Smith also shows a harder breaking ball that is advanced for his age.

Enough reading about it. Here is a look at the top ten in the initial Class of 2018 rankings.

CLICK HERE to view the entire rankings.

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Ryder Green	TN	Hardin Valley Academy	2018	3B	Kentucky
2	Bass Cooper	TN	Knoxville Central	2018	1B
3	Tate Kolwyck	TN	Arlington	2018	SS	Vanderbilt
4	Luke Murphy	TN	East Robertson	2018	RHP
5	Ethan Smith	TN	Mount Juliet	2018	RHP
6	Andrew Benefield	TN	Siegel	2018	SS
7	Ryan Weathers	TN	Loretto	2018	LHP
8	John Langworthy	TN	Siegel	2018	RHP
9	Paul Komistek	TN	Knoxville Christian	2018	3B
10	Jack Sisk	TN	Ravenwood	2018	RHP