Final 2017 Travel Team Rankings: 18u | 17u | 16u | 15u | 14u | 13u | 12u
5 Star Baseball (Ga.):
The Warner Robins, Ga.-based 5 Star organization finished 2017 with nine teams ranked in the top-100 in six age-groups but its top 17u and 16u teams were the most impactful.
5 Star National-Dobbs won the 17u PG BCS National Championship, reached the round-of-16 at the 17u PG WWBA National Championship and was a playoff team at the PG WWBA World Championship on its way to the No. 3 national ranking. 2018 catcher Leyton Pinckney, a Mercer recruit, was named the MVP for a team that finished 10-0-0 and beat national power Team Elite 17u Prime in the championship game.
5 Star National-Burress finished No. 5 in the 16u national rankings after winning the BCS National Championship to go with a third-place finish at the PG WWBA National Championship and a round-of-32 showing at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship. 5 Star’s Harrison Long and Cameron Jones were named the MVPlayer and the MVPitcher, respectively, at the 16u BCS.
12u ranked teams:
No. 6 5 Star National
13u ranked teams:
No. 28 5 Star National 13u
No. 36 5 Star Black (Fla.)
14u ranked teams:
No. 22 5 Star National Gold
No. 118 5 Star National Baseball Florida 14u
No. 119 5 Star National 14u-Haynes
15u ranked teams:
No. 68 5 Star National-Moss
No. 69 5 Star American North
16u ranked teams:
No. 5 5 Star National-Burress
No. 154 5 Star National
No. 199 5 Star Carolina
17u ranked teams:
No. 3 5 Star National Dobbs
No. 57 5 Star National
No. 180 5 Star Carolina
643 DP (Ga.):
The 643 DP organization, based in Marietta, Ga., enjoyed yet another noteworthy season of high tournament finishes and finished with 11teams showing up in the national rankings, including eight ranked in the top-59 in their respective age-group.
643 DP Sterling is the program’s highest ranked team. It landed in the No. 13 slot in the 16u rankings after winning a championship at a PG WWBA 16u National Championship Qualifier and finishing as runner-up at the 18u PG Invitational. John Giesler and Sebastian Thomas were named the MVPlayer and MVPitcher, respectively, at the WWBA Qualifier.
It also played in the round-of-8 at the 16u PG WWBA National Championship and reached the playoffs at the 16u PG World Series, the 16u PG BCS National Championship and the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship.
643 DP Pralgo came in at No. 30 in the 17u rankings after winning both the 18u PG WWBA Memorial Day Classic at LakePoint and the 17u PG Summer Showdown Protected by G-Form. Sebastian Thomas and Tyler Tolve were named the MV player and pitcher the MDC at LakePoint tournament, and Drew Hamrock and Charlie Estes received the same awards at the 17u Summer Showdown.
13u ranked teams:
No. 19 643 DP Cougars 13u
No. 31 643 DP Tigers 13u
14u ranked teams:
No. 32 643 DP Cougars
No. 88 643 DP Jaguars
15u ranked teams:
No. 23 643 DP Cougars Montgomery
16u ranked teams:
No. 13 643 DP Sterling
No. 145 643 DP Baseball Mang
No. 181 643 DP Tigers 16u Coleman
17u ranked teams:
No. 30 643 DP Cougars Pralgo
No. 59 643 DP Jaguars (Hightower)
No. 147 643 DP Athletics (Shelby)
Banditos (Texas/Fla.):
The Tomball, Texas-based Banditos Baseball organization has expanded its brand from coast-to-coast, and enjoys a profound presence in PG’s national travel team rankings; the program boasts six teams ranked in the top-99 of the 14u age division alone.
The Banditos’ highest ranked team is the No. 4 Banditos Scout Team out of Richmond, Texas, in the 16u age division. That is the team that won the 16u PG WWBA National Championship behind the play of MVPlayer Tristan McDonough, a 2018 U. of Miami signee.
The Banditos Black climbed to No. 12 in the 17u rankings thanks to a PG WWBA South Qualifier championship, a round-of-8 showing at the 17u PG World Series and several other playoff appearances. Louisiana-Lafayette commit Oscar Morales was the MVPlayer at the South Q. A Banditos Scout Team squad with several of those Banditos Black players advanced to bracket-play and finished 5-1-0 at the PG WWBA World Championship.
Three top 2018 prospects with ties to the Banditos organizations were named PG All-Americans this year: left-hander Jonathan Childress, third baseman Jordan Groshans and corner-infielder Hunter Watson.
Another Banditos Scout Team was a playoff qualifier at two of the country’s most prestigious 15u events, the 15u PG World Series and the 15u PG WWBA National Championship, and is ranked No. 7. The 14u Banditos Scout team reached the final-four at the PG Spring Kickoff, the 14u PG WWBA National Championship and the 14u PG World Series and landed at No. 7.
13u ranked teams:
No. 8 Banditos Scout Team (Calif.)
14u ranked teams:
No. 8 Banditos Scout Team
No. 67 South Texas Banditos
No. 71 MVP Banditos 14u
No. 79 Banditos (Calif.)
No. 92 Banditos Houston
No. 99 MVP Banditos North
15u ranked teams:
No. 7 Banditos Scout Team
No. 35 MVP Banditos
No 36 Austin Banditos Black
16u ranked teams:
No. 4 Banditos Scout Team
No. 139 MVP Banditos 16u
No. 161 Houston Banditos Black
No. 208 Houston Banditos-Nava
No. 227 Banditos-Sanchez
17u ranked teams:
No. 12 Banditos Black
No. 150 Houston Banditos
CBA (Calif.):
California Baseball Academy (CBA) annually fields teams that compete nationally at a very high level, and the number of those teams has risen in the past couple years with the program’s expansion from the Los Angeles area down to San Diego and points east.
The CBA Marucci teams that toil in both the 17u and 16u age-divisions were once again among the country’s best in 2017.
The 17u group, led by PG All-American shortstop Brandon Dieter, is ranked No. 19 nationally after reaching the quarterfinals at both the 17u PG World Series and the PG Fall Upperclass National Championship Protected by G-Form; it also finished 3-1 at the 17u PG WWBA National Championship.
The 16u CBA Marucci squad won the PG WWBA Underclass California World Series and advanced into the playoffs at the 16u PG WWBA National Championship. 2019 Cody Freeman, a Baylor commit ranked 103rd nationally, was named the MVPlayer at the Cali WS.
14u ranked teams:
No. 28 CBA Wave
No. 33 CBA Bulldogs
16u ranked teams:
No. 12 CBA Marucci
No. 48 CBA Nevada 2019
No. 144 CBA Wave Gold
17u ranked teams:
No. 19 CBA Marucci
No. 75 CBA Wave
No. 204 CBA Bruins
Canes Baseball (Va.):
This Fredericksburg, Va.-based organization under the direction of Jeff Petty continued to grow and prosper in 2017, and two of its top teams have been rewarded with the No. 1 ranking in both the 17u and 16u national rankings. In all, 16 teams that reside under the Canes’ influential umbrella are nationally ranked in four age-divisions.
A star-studded team playing under the Canes 17u name is the No. 1 17u team in all the land after winning the blockbuster 17u PG WWBA National Championship, finishing as runner-up at the novel MLB/PG Ways to Play event and reaching the playoffs at the 17u PG World Series and the PG WWBA World Championship.
Six PG All-Americans played on Canes’ upperclass class teams in 2017: Blaze Alexander, Xavier Edwards, Anthony Seigler, Austin Becker, Joe Gray Jr. and Nicholas Northcut. Edwards was the MVPlayer at the 17u PG WWBA National.
The Canes National took over the top-spot in the 16u national rankings by becoming a rare underclass team to claim the title at the PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., in October. Playing under the name of the Canes Prospects, the talented squad outlasted the FTB/SF Giants Scout Team 8-7 in nine innings in the championship game, completing a 7-1-0 tournament run; the Prospects played 27 innings of baseball in about nine hours on the final day of the tournament.
Nine Prospects players – all from the class of 2019 – were named to the all-tournament team. That number included 2019 right-hander Dylan Delucia, who was named the MV Pitcher. This Canes National team also reached the round-of-16 at the 16u PG WWBA National Championship and the playoffs at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship.
Another Canes National team finished as runner-up at the PG WWBA Freshmen World Championship and came in at No. 12 in the 14u rankings. Canes American 17u finished third at the 17u PG WWBA National Championship and reached the quarterfinals at the PG WWBA World Championship finished at No. 11 in the 17u rankings.
12u ranked teams:
No. 4 EvoShield Canes NC-Gallaher
14u ranked teams:
No. 12 Canes National
No. 62 EvoShield Canes Pate-14u
15u ranked teams:
No. 14 EvoShield Canes Central 15u
No. 41 EvoShield Canes South 16u
No. 72 EvoShield Canes North 15u
No. 73 EvoShield Canes Midwest
16u ranked teams:
No. 1 Canes National
No. 57 EvoShield Canes South 16u
No. 109 EvoShield Canes North 16u
No. 193 EvoShield Canes Mid-Atlantic 16u
No. 211 Canes American
No. 226 EvoShield Canes Coastal 16u
17u ranked teams:
No. 1 Canes 17u
No. 11 Canes American 17u
No. 125 Canes Prospects
No. 209 Canes South
Dallas Tigers (Texas):
The Dallas Tigers organization – which in 2004 utilized the talents of young left-hander by the name of Clayton Kershaw – was its usual solid self in 2017, placing six teams in the top-76 of their respective age-group rankings.
The 13u Tigers’ team finished with the highest ranking at No. 6 after a semifinal-round appearance at the 13u PG World Series, and the Dallas Tigers-Polk ended up at No. 19 in the 14u national rankings after reaching the second round of the playoffs at the 14u PG WWBA National Championship.
The program saved its best for last when the Dallas Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals at the PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., in October; they finished 4-2-0 after a 4-1 loss to the eventual champion Canes Prospects.
13u ranked teams:
No. 6 Dallas Tigers
14u teams ranked:
No. 19 Dallas Tigers-Polk
No. 105 Dallas Tigers-Godwin
15u ranked teams:
No. 71 Dallas Tigers-Arias
No. 76 Dallas Tigers-Robbins 15u
16u ranked teams:
No. 66 Dallas Tigers-Hernandez
17u ranked teams:
No. 26 Dallas Tigers
Dirtbags (N.C.):
Program owner/founder/manager Andy Partin is well respected for putting championship quality Sedalia, N.C.-based Dirtbags’ teams out on the field across the age-group spectrum and 2017 was no exception when five squads ending up ranked in the top-37.
This year’s contingent was led by the 14u No. 3-ranked Dirtbags Black, which won titles at the PG WWBA Freshman World Championship and the 14u PG Invitational Major Championship, was runner-up at the 14u PG Memorial Day Classic at LakePoint and reached the playoffs at the 14u PG WWBA National Championship. 2021 middle-infielder Tommy Hawke and 2021 LHP Joshua Hartle – both Wake Forest commits – were named the MVPlayer and MVPitcher, respectively, at the WWBA Freshman World.
13u ranked teams:
No. 18 Dirtbags
14u ranked teams:
No. 3 Dirtbags Black
15u ranked teams:
No. 18 Dirtbags
16u ranked teams:
No. 37 Dirtbags 16’s
17u ranked teams:
No. 34 Dirtbags All Blacks
No. 232 Dirtbags SC
Dulins Dodgers (Tenn.):
Tim Dulin is another organization owner that is selective in the number of teams he fields in each age group and the teams he enters in PG tournaments seem to always end up in the playoffs; six of them ended up ranked in the top-84 in their respective age-divisions.
It was the Dodgers’ 14u team that made the most noise this summer. Led by top 2021s Blaze Jordan, Daylen Lile and Ryan Ginther – ranked Nos. 1, 26 and 70, respectively – the Dodgers rose to No. 2 in the final 14u national rankings thanks in large part to their championship at the 14u PG World Series; Jordan was named the MVPlayer at that event and 2020 right-hander Lane Forsythe the MVPitcher.
The 14u Dodgers also advanced to the quarterfinals at the 14u PG WWBA National Championship and the playoffs at the 14u PG-East Cobb Invitational. The Dulins Dodgers-Henson wound up in the No. 35 slot in the 16u rankings after reaching the second-round of the playoffs at the 16u PG WWBA National Championship and the round-of-32 at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship. The Dodgers’ Ryan Weathers was a PG All-American.
13u ranked teams:
No. 19 Dulins Dodgers
14u ranked teams:
No. 2 Dulins Dodgers
15u ranked teams:
No. 53 Dulins Dodgers Prime
16u ranked teams:
No. 35 Dulins Dodgers-Henson
No. 60 Dulins Dodgers-Booker
17u ranked teams:
No. 84 Dulins Dodgers
East Coast Sox (Tenn./Miss.):
A title at the 15u PG WWBA National Championship was enough to lift the Sox into the No. 3 position in the final 15u national rankings and was one of many highlights during a very successful year for the Cordova, Tenn.-based organization; 2020 infielder Cade Crosby was named the MVPlayer at the 15u WWBA.
The upperclass East Coast Sox Select team was also lights-out during the summer and the fall, recording a third-place finish at the 17u PG WWBA National Championship and a quarterfinal-round finish at the PG WWBA World Championship.
It was an EC Sox team that finished No. 4 in the final 17u national rankings and one that enjoyed the services of three PG All-Americans: corner-infielder Bryce Bush, right-hander J.T. Ginn and catcher Christopher Willis.
The East Coast Sox Select landed at No. 15 in the final 16u national rankings – five East Coast Sox teams were in the top-160 at the 16u age-division – after reaching the quarterfinals at the 16u PG WWBA National Championship and the round-of-32 at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship.
Willis, ranked No. 55 in the class of 2018, also played on the 16u Sox Select Squad. Other standouts included top 2019s Hayden Durst (No. 66) and Ryan Hawks (No. 90).
15u ranked teams:
No. 3 East Coast Sox Select
No. 83 East Coast Sox Diamond
16u ranked teams:
No. 15 East Coast Sox Select
No. 45 East Coast Sox Diamond
No. 46 East Coast Sox Bomb
No. 76 East Coast Sox Elite
No. 160 East Coast Sox Prime
17u ranked teams:
No. 4 East Coast Sox Select
No. 173 East Coast Sox Elite
East Cobb Baseball (Ga.):
If there is ever a Mount Rushmore for travel team organizations there will be no debate about East Cobb Baseball occupying a prominent position on the monument. And the 2017 summer and fall seasons did nothing to diminish what founder/owner Guerry Baldwin has built.
Eight teams with East Cobb name front-and center finished the year ranked in the top-10 nationally, and there was at least one representative in each of the seven age-groups. As is usually the case, the East Cobb Astros held the banner the highest, getting ranked at No. 1 (18u), No. 2 (13u), No. 5 (12u), No. 7 (both 16u and 17u) and No. 9 (both 14u and 15u).
Championships were won by the Astros at the 18u PG WWBA National Championship, 17u PG Elite Championship, 16u PG Super25 National Championship, 14u PG Invitational, 13u PG Super25 National Championship and the 13u PG-EC Invitational.
The 16u and 17u EC Astros teams that both landed at No. 7 in the rankings stood out everywhere they played.
The Astros 16u reached the semifinals at the 16u PG WWBA National Championship, the 16u PG World Series and the 17u PG Invitational in addition to their 16u Super25 championship. They also reached the quarterfinals at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship and the playoffs at the 17u PG WWBA National Championship and the 16u PG BCS National Championship.
The 17u Astros made it to the semifinals at the MLB/PG Ways to Play event, the PG WWBA Southeast Qualifier #1 and the PG WWBA Southeast Qualifier #2, and the quarterfinals at the 17u PG WWBA National Championship and the PG WWBA National Qualifier.
It was a team led by top 2018s Garrett Wade (No. 65-ranked), Cooper Stinson (No. 77) and Keyshawn Askew (No. 193). 2018 left-hander Luke Bartnicki from the East Cobb Colt 45’s was the organization’s only PG All-American this year.
On the 18u side, the Astros reached the top spot by virtue of their title at the 18u PG WWBA and a playoff berth at the 18u PG Invitational. The Yankees won that 18u PG Invitational and wound up at No. 8 in the rankings.
12u ranked teams:
No. 5 East Cobb Astros
No. 32 East Cobb Tigers
13u ranked teams:
No. 2 East Cobb Astros
14u ranked teams:
No. 9 East Cobb Astros
No. 70 14u East Cobb Braves
15u teams ranked:
No. 8 East Cobb Astros 15u
No. 104 East Cobb Colt 45’s
No. 142 East Cobb Hurricanes
16u ranked teams:
No. 7 East Cobb Astros 16u
No. 53 East Cobb Colt 45’s 16u
No. 159 East Cobb Yankees
No. 221 East Cobb Cubs
17u ranked teams:
No. 7 East Cobb Astros
No. 22 East Cobb Yankees
No. 42 East Cobb Colt 45s 17u
No. 222 East Cobb Athletics 17u
18u ranked teams:
No. 1 East Cobb Astros
No. 8 East Cobb Yankees
Elite Squad (Fla.):
The Pembroke Pines, Fla.-based Elite Squad under the direction of President of Operations Richie Palmer has been rewarded for an outstanding season with three of its teams ranked in the top-three and four in the top-10 of their respective age-divisions.
The 13u No. 1-ranked Elite Squad won championships at the 13u PG World Series, the 13u PG Fall World Series, the PG Spring Kickoff and was a semifinalist at the PG MLK East Championship.
The Elite Squad Underclass Prime took home a big, gold first-place trophies from the inaugural PG WWBA Sophomore World Championship and the PG MLK East Championship. They also reached the quarterfinals at the 15u BCS National Championship and the playoffs at the 15u PG World Series, and wound-up ranked No. 2 in the final 15u national rankings.
And then there was the Elite Squad 16u Prime, an outfit that won the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship, was a quarterfinalist at the 16u PG World Series and was a playoff team at both the 16u PG WWBA National Championship and the 16u PG BCS National Championship; they settled in at No. 3 in the final 16u national rankings.
The Elite Squad Prime 2021 won the 14u East Memorial Day Classic championship and reached the playoffs at the 14u PG WWBA National Championship, the 14u PG BCS National Championship and the PG WWBA Freshman World Championship and went into the winter at No. 30 in the 14u national rankings.
2021 right-hander Alejandro Rosario, the No. 3-ranked national prospect in his class, was named the MVPitcher at two of the three WWBA tournaments the Elite Squad won this year, the Sophomore World Championship and the 14u East Memorial Day Classic.
2020 catcher Kolbe Aven (No. 249) was named the MVPlayer at the Sophomore World, and 2020 corner-infielder Gavin Casas (No. 33, Vanderbilt) was the MVPlayer at the Underclass World.
12u ranked teams:
No. 10 Elite Squad
13u ranked teams:
No. 1 Elite Squad
14u ranked teams:
No. 30 Elite Squad Prime 2021
15u ranked teams:
No. 2 Elite Squad Underclass Prime
No. 16 Elite Squad 15u Prime
No. 84 Elite Squad 15u Select
16u ranked teams:
No. 3 Elite Squad 16u Prime
No. 79 Elite Squad 16u Select
No. 142 Elite Squad Underclass Prime
17u ranked teams:
No. 36 Elite Squad 17u Prime
No. 53 Elite Squad 17u Select
No. 72 Elite Squad Louisville Slugger
No. 203 Elite Squad Uncommitted Black
eXposure Baseball (Tenn.):
Teams from the Ooltewah, Tenn.-based eXposure Baseball organization didn’t blow anyone out of the water during the 2017 campaign, but they did prove adept at securing playoff berths and representing themselves well at tournaments in six age-divisions.
As a result, 12 eXposure squads found themselves in the national rankings in six age-groups at season’s end, with eXposure 18u Louisville Slugger leading the way at No. 18 in the 18u rankings. That team recorded a third-place finish at the 18u PG-EC Invitational.
PG All-American right-hander Cole Wilcox played with the 17u No. 129 eXposure Prime this year.
13u ranked teams:
No. 39 eXposure 14u Fall White
14u ranked teams:
No. 44 eXposure 14u Prime
No. 50 eXposure 15u White Fall
No. 122 eXposure North Prime 15u
15u ranked teams:
No. 50 eXposure 15u Prime
No. 138 eXposure 2020 Fall White
16u ranked teams:
No. 94 eXposure 16u Prime
No. 235 eXposure 2019 Fall White
17u ranked teams:
No. 129 eXposure 17u Prime
No. 141 eXposure 17u Silver
No. 219 eXposure 17u Louisville Slugger
18u ranked teams:
No. 18 eXposure 18u Louisville Slugger
Florida Burn (Fla.):
The Florida Burn organization under the direction of Mark Guthrie has been a prominent player on the national travel-ball scene for almost a decade now, and the program continued to crank out championship-level teams this summer and fall.
Three Burn squads found themselves ranked in the top-20 in their respective age-divisions at season’s end, led by the No. 9 Florida Burn 2019 Platinum in the 16u rankings. The 2019 Platinum made a run all the way to the championship game at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship where it dropped a 4-1 decision to the Elite Squad.
The team, led by top 2019 third baseman Josh Rivera (No. 113, Florida), also reached the quarterfinals at both the 16u PG World Series and the PG WWBA Florida Qualifier and the playoffs at the 16u BCS National Championship.
The Florida Burn 2020 Platinum also secured a No. 9 ranking, this one in the 15u division. The 2020 Platinum was the runner-up at the PG WWBA Sophomore World Championship and was a playoff team at the 15u PG WWBA National Championship. 2020 catcher Mac Guscette (No. 70, Florida) ranks among the 2020 Platinum’s top prospects.
The No. 33 (17u) Burn 2018 Platinum was a playoff team at the 17u PG WWBA National Championship, the 17u PG BCS National Championship and the PG WWBA World Championship.
14u ranked teams:
No. 20 Florida Burn 2021 Platinum North
15u ranked teams:
No. 9 Florida Burn 2020 Platinum
No. 113 Florida Burn 2020 Premier
16u ranked teams:
No. 9 Florida Burn 2019 Platinum
No. 214 Florida Burn Premier
17u ranked teams:
No. 33 Florida Burn 2018 Platinum
No. 61 Florida Burn 2018 Premier
FTB (Fla.):
Florida Travel Ball (FTB) is another one of those Mount Rushmore programs that this year fielded 15 teams that finished in the top-91 in their respective age-division rankings. It’s a number that includes four from 14u, five from 15u, two from 16u and three from 17u and one from 18u. The depth within the program never ceases to amaze.
FTB55 Tucci leads this prideful pack with a lofty No. 2 ranking in the 17u division. FTB55 finished as runner-up at the PG WWBA World Championship playing under the name FTB/SF Giants Scout Team, reached the round-of-16 at the 17u PG WWBA National Championship and the semifinals at the PG WWBA East Memorial Day Classic.
PG All-Americans Nander De Sedas, Jonathan Gates and Preston Hartsell headlined its roster; Hartsell was the MVPlayer at the PG WWBA World. A separate team called FTB Tucci was also a playoff qualifier in Jupiter and landed at No. 85 in the 17u national rankings.
FTB Tucci Black 15u came in at No. 24 in the 14u national rankings thanks to a quarterfinal finish at the PG WWBA Freshman World Championship; FTB Tucci Select 2020 reached the playoffs at the 15u PG World Series, the PG WWBA Sophomore World Championship and the 15u PG WWBA East Memorial Day Classic and is ranked No. 19 in 15u.
FTB Tucci-Cleveland advanced to the semifinals at the PG WWBA Sophomore World Championship and sits at No. 30 in the 15u rankings.
FTB Tucci-Sindone 17u won the championship at the PG WWBA Underclass East Memorial Day Classic – 2019 middle-infielder Vaughn Grissom and 2019 lefty Daniel Gaviria were the MVPlayer and MVPitch, respectively – was the runner-up at the PG WWBA East Memorial Day Classic and reached the playoffs at the 16u PG WWBA National, and finished at No. 29 in the 16u rankings.
14u ranked teams:
No. 24 FTB Tucci Black 15u
No. 43 FTB Tucci Northeast 14u
No. 53 FTB Tucci
No. 68 FTB Kudagra Royal
15u ranked teams:
No. 19 FTB Tucci Select 2020
No. 30 FTB Tucci-Cleveland
No. 42 FTB Tucci-Baio
No. 46 FTB Rockets
No. 91 FTB-Gulf Coast
16u ranked teams:
No. 29 FTB Tucci-Sindone 17u
No. 86 FTB Rockets 2019
17u ranked teams:
No. 2 FTB55 Tucci
No. 85 FTB Tucci
No. 87 FTB Tucci 55
No. 205 FTB Tucci-Orlando
18u ranked teams:
No. 23 FTB Orlando
GBG (Calif.):
Already one of the more established programs in Southern California, GBG and founder/manager Michael Garciaparra expanded its operations into other states in 2017 and finished with seven teams ranked in the top-76 in four age-divisions.
GBG Marucci was a semifinalist at the 17u PG World Series and a playoff team at the PG WWBA World Championship and climbed into the No. 10 spot in the 17u national rankings. GBG Marucci 2020 earned a spot in the semifinals at the 15u PG WWBA National Championship and sits at No. 5 in the 15u rankings.
One of the program’s expansion teams, GBG Arizona 2021, took home the title at the PG WWBA Freshman Fall National Championship Protected by G-Form and earned the No. 10 ranking in the 14u division; Tanner Smith and Carson Baker were the MVPlayer and MVPitcher. No. 13 GBG Marucci 2021 was the runner-up at the same event.
14u ranked teams:
No. 10 GBG Arizona 2021
No. 13 GBG Marucci 2021
15u ranked teams:
No. 5 GBG Marucci 2020
No. 39 15u GBG Copperheads
16u ranked teams:
No. 54 GBG Renegades
No. 143 GBG Northwest
17u ranked teams:
No. 10 GBG Marucci
No. 76 GBG Northwest
No. 201 GBG Northeast Hawks 17u
Scorpions Baseball (Fla.):
The Scorpions organization, based in Altamonte Springs, Fla., saw four of its team climb into the top-28 in three age divisions, including No. 6 rankings for both the Scorpions 2020 Prime (15u) and the Scorpions 2019 Prime (16u).
The 2020 Prime clawed their way to a runner-up finish at the 15u PG World Series and a round-of-16 showing at the 15u PG WWBA National Championship, both PG national championship tournaments; 2020 left-hander CJ Kayfus (No. 80, Miami) was named the MVPitcher at the 15u PGWS.
The 2019 Prime equaled or surpassed their younger brother’s accomplishments in many respects with a runner-up finish at the 16u PG World Series, a semifinal finish at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship and an appearance in the round-of-8 at the 16u PG WWBA National Championship.
The 16u No. 21 Scorpions South 2019 was a quarterfinalist at the PG WWBA Underclass World, the 16u PG BCS National Championship and the PG WWBA Florida Qualifier.
The 17u No. 28 Scorpions 2018 Prime reached the quarterfinals at the 17u PG BCS National Championship and the playoffs at both the PG WWBA World Championship and the 17u PG WWBA National Championship.
14u ranked teams:
No. 87 Orlando Scorpions
15u ranked teams:
No. 6 Scorpions 2020 Prime
16u ranked teams:
No. 6 Scorpions 2019 Prime
No. 21 Scorpions South 2019
No. 182 Scorpions West
17u ranked teams:
No. 28 Scorpions 2018 Prime
No. 124 Scorpions South 2018 Purple
No. 187 Scorpions West
Team Elite (Ga.):
Owner/General Manager Brad Bouras has overseen the evolution of Team Elite Baseball into one the premier training and travel ball organizations in the country, one that annually produces many of the top teams and top prospects in amateur baseball.
The final 2017 PG national travel team rankings reflect that prowess, as Team Elite wrapped-up the summer and fall seasons with 13 teams ranked in the top-95 across the seven age-divisions.
That number includes 15u No. 1-ranked Team Elite Prime, an impressive outfit that mined gold at the 15u PG World Series and the 15u PG BCS National Championship, reached the quarterfinals at the 15u PG WWBA National Championship and the semifinals at the 15u PG Invitational.
Outfielder Austin Hendrick, the No. 1-ranked prospect in the class of 2020 and a Mississippi State commit, was named the MVPlayer at the 15u PGWS. Catcher Jack Bulger, the No. 52-ranked 2020 and a Vanderbilt commit, was the MVP at the 15u PG BCS and 2020 left-hander Alex Edmondson (No. 43, Clemson), was the MVPitcher at the same event.
Team Elite Nation won the 14u PG BCS National Championship behind the outstanding play of MVPlayer Brady House, finished third at the 14u PG WWBA National Championship, was the runner-up at the 14u PG-East Cobb Invitational and was a playoff team at the PG WWBA freshman World Series; the Nation finished at No. 4 in the 14u rankings.
The 17u No. 5-ranked Team Elite 17u Prime’s roster oozed with star-power, and their resume includes a championship at the PG WWBA Southeast Qualifier, a runner-up finish at the 17u PG BCS National Championship, the quarterfinals at the 17u PG WWBA National Championship and numerous other playoff appearances.
PG All-Americans potential top draft prospects Will Banfield, Ethan Hankins, John Malcom, Parker Meadows and Kumar Rocker all played with Team Elite 17u Prime this year.
Team Elite 16’s Prime won the PG Elite Underclass Championship, was runner-up at the PG WWBA Southeast Qualifier #1, third-place at the PG WWBA Southeast Qualifier #2, reached the quarters at the PG WWBA Underclass World and the round-of-16 at the 16u PG WWBA National and is ranked No. 10 in the 16u division.
12u ranked teams:
No. 21 Team Elite 12u Prospects
13u ranked teams:
No. 23 Team Elite 13u Prospects
No. 26 Team Elite 13u Futures
No. 27 Team Elite South 13u-Cooper
14u ranked teams:
No. 4 Team Elite Nation
No. 15 Team Elite 14u Prospects
No. 95 Team Elite South 14u-Cook
No. 131 Team Elite 14u Steel
15u ranked teams:
No. 1 Team Elite Prime
No. 22 Team Elite 15u Nation
16u ranked teams:
No. 10 Team Elite 16’s Prime
No. 158 Team Elite 16u Nation
No. 163 Team Elite 16u Premier
17u ranked teams:
No. 5 Team Elite 17u Prime
No. 82 Team Elite South 17u-Morgan
No. 130 Team Elite Nation
18u ranked teams:
No. 14 Team Elite 18u Prime
US Elite Baseball (Pa./N.Y.):
Based in the Northeast, US Elite proved to be more than capable of holding its own on national stages down south placing five teams in the top-86 in the 13u, 14u, 15u, 16u and 17u age divisions.
US Elite 2019 National finished the 2017 season ranked No. 19 in 16u after reaching the round-of-16 at both the 16u PG WWBA National Championship and the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship.
US Elite 2018 came in at No. 27 in the final 17u national rankings thanks to playoff appearances at the prominent 17u PG WWBA National Championship and the 17u PG World Series.
13u ranked teams:
No. 16 US Elite
14u ranked teams:
No. 24 US Elite 2021’s
15u ranked teams:
No. 86 US Elite 2020 North
No. 135 US Elite 2020 South
16u ranked teams:
No. 19 US Elite 2019 National
17u ranked teams:
No. 27 US Elite 2018