THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,612 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,612 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Story | 1/17/2017

College Top 25: Team Capsules

Photo: LSU Athletics




Preseason College Top 25 | Preseason All-American Team | 2017 College Baseball Preview Index

The first three capsules are available for free. To read the remaining breakdowns of the Top 25 teams for the 2017 college baseball season you will need a College Baseball Ticket (CBT) subscription to view. To learn more about the College Baseball Ticket, Perfect Game's other subscription packages and to sign up today, please visit this link.

Prospect number in parenthesis is player's rank in Perfect Game's most recent ranking of the top 250 prospects
 eligible for the 2017 draft.


1. Texas Christian

Luken Baker (TCU Athletics)
Head Coach: Jim Schlossnagle
Conference: Big 12
2016 record: 49-18 (15-9 Big 12)
2016 finish: College World Series

Top returning hitters: DH Luken Baker (.379-11-62), 3B Elliott Barzilli (.339-7-48), CF Nolan Brown (.302-1-30 in 2015), C Evan Skoug (.301-9-51), 2B Cam Warner (.300-6-43), SS Ryan Merrill (.298-1-25), RF Austen Wade (.286-1-27), LF Josh Watson (.280-11-44), 1B Connor Wanhanen (.231-0-23)

Top returning pitchers: RHP Jared Janczak (7-4, 2.61, 82.2 IP, 80:26), RHP Brian Howard (3.19, 10-2, 98.2 IP, 93:30), RHP Mitchell Traver (1-3, 3.26, 30.1 IP, 28:10), RHP Durbin Feltman (3-0, 1.56, 34.2 IP, 49:11, 9 SV), LHP Ryan Burnett (3-1, 1.97, 32 IP, 31:6), LHP Drew Gooch (0-0, 2.01, 22.1 IP, 17:7), LHP Dalton Horton (8-0, 2.58, 59.1 IP, 27:17)

Top newcomers: LHP Nick Lodolo, RHP Charles King, LHP Dion Henderson, RHP Trey Morris, RHP Cal Coughlin

Top 2017 prospects: C Evan Skoug (51), RHP Brian Howard, RHP Mitchell Traver, 3B Elliott Barzilli, LHP Ryan Burnett

Why they're here: Returning talent from CWS squad. TCU boasts 22 players that were on last year's College World Series team that are returning for the 2017 season. The most significant player they lost was Dane Steinhagen, but they get a huge boost with the return of Nolan Brown, who missed the 2016 due to injury and will serve as the team's leadoff catalyst and center fielder. Brown along with Friday ace Brian Howard, projected Sunday starter Mitchell Traver and the entire infield alignment are seniors giving this team an incredible amount of experience in addition to production.

Difference maker: Sensational sophomores. While Luken Baker isn't expected to pitch this season he enjoyed a huge season at the plate as a freshman – which includes a two home run game in Omaha – and should continue to provide numerous key blasts over the course of the 2017 season. Durbin Feltman was equally dominant serving as the team's closer allowing just 15 hits and 11 walks in 34 2/3 innings of work while striking out 49. Jared Janczak, the team's projected Saturday starter, went 7-4 with a 2.61 ERA a year ago and secured a key starting role down the stretch. Baker and Feltman represent two of the team's five Preseason All-Americans.

Fun fact: TCU has made the Final Four each of the last two seasons, losing to eventual 2015 runner-up Vanderbilt and the eventual 2016 champions Coastal Carolina as they look to return to Omaha for the fourth consecutive year.


2. Louisiana State

Jared Poche (LSU)
Head Coach: Paul Mainieri
Conference: Southeastern 
2015 record: 45-21 (19-11 SEC)
2015 finish: Baton Rouge Super Regional

Top returning hitters: 2B Cole Freeman (.329-1-27), CF Antonie Duplantis (.327-2-39), SS Kramer Robertson (.324-2-39), DH/OF Bryce Jordan (.293-5-33), RF Greg Deichmann (.288-11-57), LF Beau Jordan (.286-4-39), C Mike Papierski (.242-3-20)

Top returning pitchers: RHP Hunter Newman (1-1, 8 SV, 2.13 ERA, 28 IP, 40:15), LHP Jared Poche' (9-4, 3.35 ERA, 102 IP, 87:37), RHP Doug Norman (1-1, 3.41, 31.2 IP, 21:18), RHP Alex Lange (8-4, 3.79 ERA, 111.2 IP, 125:49), RHP Russell Reynolds (3-0, 4.08, 35.1 IP, 23:10)

Top newcomers: 3B Josh Smith, RHP Zach Hess, RHP Eric Walker, RHP Todd Peterson, 1B Jake Slaughter, RHP Hunter Kiel

Top 2017 prospects: RHP Alex Lange (40), RHP Hunter Kiel, SS Kramer Robertson, OF Greg Deichmann, LHP Jared Poche'

Why they’re here: Depth and talent up and down their roster. LSU will bring back their top two starters from a season ago including likely first rounder Alex Lange who possess an explosive fastball to go along with a hammer curveball. Jared Poche' is an experienced SEC arm who returns for his senior year. They return their up-the-middle combo in Kramer Robertson and Cole Freeman, three of their top four hitters and almost their entire lineup from a season ago. They also add a plethora of impact freshman arms to go along with junior college transfer Hunter Kiel who has a big fastball that will work around triple digits.

Difference maker: Alex Lange. The Tigers will rely on Lange to show the dominant arsenal he displayed as a freshman and get back to that level of consistency. He was up and down a season ago, but with the quality of talent the SEC has on Friday nights, Lange will be called upon to match them pitch for pitch. 

Fun fact: LSU has led college baseball in average attendance for every season dating back to 1985. The fans in Baton Rouge have notoriously made it a hostile and jam-packed environment for every home game. The Tigers will need the support once again this year in a loaded SEC. 


3. Florida State

Cal Raleigh (Larry Novey)
Head Coach: Mike Martin
Conference:
 Atlantic Coast
2016 record:
41-22 (16-10 ACC)
2016 finish:
 Gainesville Super Regional

Top returning hitters: LF Jackson Lueck (.379-4-35), SS Taylor Walls (.355-6-46), 3B Dylan Busby (.323-14-55), C Cal Raleigh (.301-10-50), 1B/DH Quincy Nieporte (.300-5-38)

Top returning pitchers:LHP Alec Byrd (1-0, 2.20 ERA, 32.2 IP, 32:10), LHP Tyler Holton (3-4, 2.79 ERA, 67.2 IP, 84:33), RHP Drew Carlton (8-3, 3.94 ERA, 93.2 IP, 76:23), RHP Cole Sands (6-7, 4.13 ERA, 69.2 IP, 50:33)

Top newcomers:1B/3B Drew Mendoza, CF J.C. Flowers, IF Nick Derr, RF Rhett Aplin

Top 2017 prospects:3B Dylan Busby (132), SS Taylor Walls, RHP Drew Carlton

Why they’re here:Because they’re Florida State. This isn’t a given of course as several other mitigating factors are considered, but without fail Florida State appears to be in the thick of things each and every season. Just one win away from advancing to the College World Series last June, the Seminoles return a very key core of position players with Taylor Walls, Dylan Busby and Cal Raleigh, and in the process has added a couple of the conference’s most hyped freshmen. The pitching will be an area to monitor but if history serves as any indication we’ll see the Seminoles fighting to the very end.

Difference maker:Invaluable depth. With what amounts to more than 65 games to go all the way and capture a National Championship, depth is an asset that almost all past champions had at their disposal. Though there are a few key pieces that will be filled with underclassmen on offense, the Seminoles have experience up and down the lineup, and most importantly in the bullpen, who know the demands of a long and grueling season.

Fun fact:Last season marked Florida State’s 39th consecutive season of reaching the 40-win plateau, the last 37 of which No. 11 has been at the helm for. With such an illustrious career, Mike Martin is set to surpass the 1,900 win mark this season and will trail only legendary Texas skipper Augie Garrido for most career wins. 

This is PG 'DiamondKast' Level content.
You must be either an DiamondKast, Crosschecker Rankings & Scouting Reports, or Scout subscriber to read the rest.

Sign in Subscribe Now

College | Story | 8/7/2026

Cape Cod League Notebook: August 7

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
RHP Jason Flores (@BaseballUGA) Showed some electric stuff, up to 98 several times CT, SL, CH to round out the arsenal in his 5IP 9K performance. @HarwichMariners So./‘27 elig pic.twitter.com/p2nTvkFnWh — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) August 5, 2026 Jason Flores | RHP | University of Georgia | Harwich Mariners  Flores heads to Georgia this fall looking to reestablish himself as one of the premier arms in the 2027 draft class after showing significant promise during his freshman season at Texas. Flores posted a 2.78 ERA over 32.1 innings as a freshman before a limited sophomore campaign in which he logged just 12 innings. The stuff was on full display this summer, highlighted by a dominant five-inning, nine-strikeout playoff performance in which he touched 98 mph five different times. His fastball averaged nearly 96 mph throughout his time on the Cape, pairing the...
Draft | Rankings | 8/28/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The 2026 MLB Draft is official in the books as those players have been signed and have begun their pro career. That means it is time to turn the page and dive into the 2027 class. This class features an intriguing mix of arms both from the prep and college ranks, along with an enticing position player pool. Today, we unveil our first 2027 MLB Draft Board, ranking the Top-100 prospects in the class. There is still plenty of time for new names to emerge and established ones to rise or fall, but here is where things stand as we begin this cycle.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Dylan Seward H SS S-R Norco Eastvale CA Tennessee 2 Brendan Lawson C SS L-R Florida Toronto ON 3 Dax Whitney C RHP R-R Oregon State Blackfoot ID 4 Gavin Kelly C C/UTL R-R West Virginia Presto PA 5 Tomas Valincius C LHP L-L Mississippi State Lockport IL 6 Malachi Butler H SS L-R...
Tournaments | Story | 8/26/2026

Underclass Area Codes: Standout Arms

Joey Cohen
Article Image
Year in and year out when the best young talent from across the country is packed into one national-level event the arms tend to win the week. That feels especially true in today’s amateur game where velocity, pitch design and high-level training in general are being introduced earlier than ever, allowing young pitchers to develop impactful stuff at a faster rate than younger hitters can consistently catch up to it. The Underclass Area Code Games are no exception and this year there was no shortage of arms that made you stop and take notice. Narrowing it down to 10 was difficult, but I focused on the pitchers who either displayed starter-type traits, brought something genuinely different from a delivery standpoint whether it was slot, height, crossfire or deception or simply possessed an outlier element of stuff that separated them from the pack. These are the 10 arms that stood...
Draft | Story | 8/23/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL East Atlanta Braves  Grade: 55 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF AJ Gracia (1st rd) | OF Carter Beck (PPI) | RHP Kaiden McCarthy (2nd rd) | RHP Jensen Hirschkorn (3rd rd)   OF AJ Gracia (@UVABaseball) is seeing the ball really well & picked up a couple of hits, including a 2B into RCF. Smooth LH stroke & easy impact. Showed + pwr in BP, 46 BB: 36 K. Jr./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/C4rSc0ZNIc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 30, 2026 Atlanta had $15,870,800 to spend in this year’s draft,...
Draft | Story | 8/22/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. AL East Baltimore Orioles Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF Eric Booth Jr. (1st rd) | OF Ty Head (2nd rd) | OF Kevin Roberts Jr (4th rd)  Eric Booth Jr. (26 MS) goes big fly 💣 that carried out oppo. Explosive athlete w/ huge LH juice & tools. Big time in several facets. #NatElite #Vandy commit. @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/kXl7ZVyD9G — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2025 Baltimore was about middle of the pack in terms of money available this year, having $13.1m to spend on their class. Booth Jr. is a...
Draft | Story | 8/24/2026

Area Code Gams: Prospect Recap

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Pitchers George Ferguson, RHP, Abilene HS  Ferguson toed the slab for the Rangers squad in game one of the Codes, setting the tone early with some loud stuff.  Ferguson attacked hitters with a verty fastball up to 96 that played well up in the zone with up to 24 inches of induced vertical break.  He showed more than just a power arsenal, going to the changeup often, using the pitch to put away hitters.  Kills the spin to the 1600’s, regularly getting 13-15 inches of horizontal break.  The slider rounded out the arsenal, working 82/83.  Struck out four over his three innings of work, two on the fastball, two on the change.  2026 PG All American committed to Texas.  Quinn Fitzpatrick, RHP, Stratford HS  Another 2026 PG All American out of Texas, the LSU commit punched out three over his two innings of work, allowing just one hit. ...
Draft | Story | 8/21/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate RHP

Ryan Miller
Article Image
2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: College Right-Handed Pitchers  Throughout the 2027 draft cycle, I’ll be breaking down different demographics in the class. Today we begin with collegiate right-handed pitching, a strong group that is headlined by a legitimate 1-1 candidate in Dax Whitney. Most of the group is made up of high-quality power four arms, with a handful of mid-major arms mixed in. Below are the top college right-handers in the 2027 class:  Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 Dax Whitney, Oregon State  Whitney has maintained...
All American Game | Story | 8/21/2026

Brotherly Love Inspires Carter Hadnot

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PHILADELPHIA – Perfect Game has been a big part of Carter Hadnot’s life since he was 12. He participated in more than a dozen tournaments and showcases, including prestigious Select Festivals as a 13U and 14U player, as well as last summer’s PG All-Star Game for underclassmen in San Diego.   The PG event that Hadnot always wanted to be part of was the DICK’s All-American Classic. Now, that’s on his resume, too. He played in the 24th annual Classic earlier this week at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. “This means a lot to me,” he said during the event. “I always wanted to make it to Select Fest when I was younger. So, every time I get invited to an event it’s an honor and it’s fun. I don’t take it for granted. “This is definitely the one I always wanted to make it to. A lot of big names have...
Press Release | Press Release | 8/18/2026

Perfect Game & Delano Partner Up

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME NAMES DELANO BAT COMPANY OFFICIAL WOOD COMPOSITE BAT PARTNER, LAUNCHES LIMITED-EDITION BAT SERIES   Delano Bats will serve as the Official Game Bat of the 13U Select Festival, taking place this coming weekend in East Cobb, Georgia   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Delano Bat Company, LLC, naming the company an Official Wood Composite Bat Partner of Perfect Game. The partnership will feature three exclusive limited-edition bat releases, which began with the Original Glory American Flag Bat in celebration of the United States' 250th birthday, that...
Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL Central

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West | AL Central With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL Central Chicago Cubs  Grade: 40 Risk: Medium Notable Selections: RHP Cade Townsend (1st rd) | OF Caden Sorrell (2nd rd) | 1B Myles Bailey (2C)   RHP Cade Townsend (@OleMissBSB) sat 95-96 T97 w/ riding FB from fast arm. Nasty cutter at 88-91 is the go-to, showed biting 2 pln SL. Low-80s top to bottom CB & CH ~ 1300 RPM to round out mix. Has had a great spring & risen up boards. Soph./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/TAFbM37f5j — PG College...
Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL Central

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. AL Central Cleveland Guardians  Grade: 45 Risk: Moderate  Notable Selections: RHP Liam Peterson (1st rd) | Tre Broussard OF (3rd rd) | RHP Savion Sims (7th rd)  Liam Peterson (@GatorsBB) has been pure power stuff through the first 3.0 IP in his start vs Bama…imposing his will on hitters with a fastball that has grabbed 100 mph a few times, backed up by his power slider and curveball @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/RVThNrdMTn — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 21,...
Loading more articles...