THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,494 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,494 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Juco  | Rankings | 1/26/2016

2016 Top 50 Junior College Teams

Photo: Northwest Florida State




2016 Perfect Game College Baseball Preview Index | @PGCollegeBall | @StatsKing (Chris King) |  PG College Facebook Page

Listed below are the Preseason Top 50 teams at the Junior College level followed by detailed capsules of the top 25 programs. The rankings and the first four capsules (teams ranked 1-4) are available for free, the rest is available with a College Baseball Ticket (CBT) subscription. To learn more about the College Baseball Ticket and to sign up today please visit this link
.



The 2016 season is finally here with most teams dusting off their equipment and heading to the fields for game action this weekend. The talent in the junior college ranks this season is strong from top to bottom, and it easily spreads from coast to coast with plenty of premium players and programs in between.

Getting the nod as our opening day No. 1 team will be the defending National Champions Northwest Florida State. Coach Doug Martin and the Raiders went 5-1 during the 2015 World Series including a 10-0 win over Iowa Western, who will start the season as our No. 2 ranked team. Northwest Florida State’s only loss in the tournament came at the hands of McLennan (Texas), but the Raiders got redemption just two days later by crushing the Highlanders 15-1 in the national title game.

With solid cores returning to both teams, and with the help of some significant D-I transfers, both Northwest Florida State and Iowa Western will be in the hunt all year long.

Right in the mix with the top two teams will be perennial national power San Jacinto (Texas) who comes in at No. 3 and on paper may have the most talented roster top to bottom in the country. The Gators made it to the World Series once again in 2015, but could not get past the national runner-up McLennan squad, who defeated San Jac 3-1 in the opening round and again 14-6 to eliminate the Gators’ national title hopes.

Fourth on our list is Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.). The Pioneers will run out a lineup that will keep them in the conversation as one of the premier teams in America. Kep Brown, Tyler Lancaster, Dominique Jackson, Nolan Cheneau and Bakari Gayle all rank in the top 75 of our
top 100 junior college prospect rankings and are sure to cause plenty of fits for opposing pitchers.

Cowley County (Kan.) rounds out the Top 5 thanks in part to a solid core of returning players along with the help of two transfers from Oklahoma State in Carson LaRue and Caleb Eldridge.

Every team looks good on paper right now, but once the cleats hit the dirt we will start to find out what each of these clubs are truly made of. Will talent by itself win out? Can pitching and defense alone carry teams to the promised land? Or is a balanced, accountable team the way to go?

These questions will be answered in the next few months as Perfect Game will be there following the action every step of the way.

The rankings will be updated on a bi-weekly basis throughout the 2016 season, so please continue to follow along. When it’s all said and done we will see who has what it takes to make it to Grand Junction, Colo. in May and prove once and for all who is the best in the world of junior college baseball.


2016 Perfect Game Top 50 Junior College Teams

RK Team ST '15 Record '15 Rank*
1 Northwest Florida State FL 42-13 1
2 Iowa Western IA 54-7 5
3 San Jacinto TX 41-19 16
4 Spartanburg Methodist SC 29-23 NR
5 Cowley County KS 54-5 6
6 Chipola FL 40-12 15
7 Walters State TN 57-12 4
8 Orange Coast CA 30-17 11
9 Chattahoochee Valley AL 43-17 17
10 Palomar CA 37-8 9
11 Yavapai AZ 45-18 13
12 Crowder MO 28-20 NR
13 Central Arizona AZ 37-19 NR
14 Heartland IL 46-13 NR
15 Grayson TX 38-17 NR
16 San Joaquin Delta CA 41-7 3
17 McLennan TX 36-19 8
18 Polk State FL 35-16 NR
19 Cypress  CA 25-13 NR
20 Howard TX 42-13 24
21 St. Johns River FL 47-10 7
22 John A. Logan IL 27-17 NR
23 LSU-Eunice LA 49-10 2
24 Miami-Dade  FL 25-22 NR
25 Western Nevada NV 33-26 NR
26 Palm Beach State FL 41-17 12
27 Seminole State OK 39-17 NR
28 Cisco TX 39-15 NR
29 Dodge City KS 42-20 20
30 Western Oklahoma State OK 53-13 18
31 Midland TX 33-23 NR
32 Navarro TX 31-18 NR
33 Hinds  MS 43-7 NR
34 Delgado LA 33-16 23
35 State College of Florida-Manatee FL 39-18 NR
36 Weatherford TX 39-13 NR
37 Arizona Western AZ 32-23 NR
38 Southern Nevada NV 46-18 14
39 Darton State GA 40-19 NR
40 Wabash Valley IL 31-19 NR
41 Florida SouthWestern State FL NA# NR
42 Gulf Coast State FL 34-20 NR
43 Lower Columbia WA 41-10 10
44 Mt. Hood OR 35-14 NR
45 Cochise AZ 44-17 NR
46 USC Sumter SC 43-21 25
47 El Camino CA 24-12 NR
48 Salt Lake  UT 37-25 NR
49 Riverside CA 22-17 NR
50 Pitt NC 34-13 NR

*Notes final Top 25 team ranking from 2015 season as found here.
#Program hasn't fielded a baseball team since 1997.



2016 Perfect Game Top 25 Junior College Team Capsules

1. Northwest Florida State
The defending national champs are out to prove that last year’s success was way more than a good team getting hot at the right time. Head Coach Doug Martin got an early Christmas present this year in the form of a big, hard throwing righthander named Jake Godfrey. Godfrey, who comes over from LSU, has ideal size and a powerful arsenal that should have no problem slowing down his opposition while also adding more talent, experience and depth to this already solid team. Adding a talent like Godfrey should mesh very well with returning players like lefthander Corderias Dorsey and center fielder Mack Hatchcock. Dorsey was named Most Outstanding Pitcher at last year’s NJCAA College World Series while Hatchcock brought home the Most Outstanding Defensive Player award. While Hatchcock’s defensive prowess is noted, he also swung the bat very well last year to a tune of .343 average out of the leadoff spot. This team also returns righthanded pitcher and South Alabama commit Will Luft to the rotation as well as two-way player Shawn Felter, who hit .340 last year while also serving as the team’s closer. Scouts are also high on freshman infielder Michael Salvatore who boasts a strong arm and can handle the bat as well.

2. Iowa Western
The Reivers enter 2016 hungry for their fourth JUCO World Series ring since 2010, and with the pitching they have that hunger could be just a few months away from being satisfied. Oklahoma commit Devon Perez (9-0) returns to the mound and should lead the way with three D-I transfers that will also be relied upon to slow down opposing hitters; Jackson Douglas (Kansas State), Jacob Niggemeyer (Ohio State), and Taylor Goshen (Wichita State). Offensively the Reivers will benefit from having versatile infielder Matt Lloyd healthy again and hitting in the middle of the lineup along with infielder and righthanded pitcher Ty Buck and his power packed bat. Arkansas commit Jared Gates is back and will be huge for this team. Gates, who will man second base, hit .400 as a freshman last season and has a smooth line drive swing from the left side and is touted as one of the best pure hitters to ever set foot on the Iowa Western campus.

Devon Perez (Iowa Western)
3. San Jacinto (Texas)
This Gators roster has talent for days with eight players ranked among the top 100 junior college prospects. The pitching staff is extremely deep and with the likes of sophomore lefthanders Devin Smeltzer (Texas Tech) and Coleten Schmidt (Louisiana), as well as righthander Montana Parsons (Baylor), locked into the rotation, finding valuable innings shouldn’t be a problem. The bullpen returns two powerful righthanded arms that will split the closer role with Jorge Fernandez and Donny Diaz. Sophomore infielder Brandon Montgomery, who is committed to Miami, will make plays defensively and can handle the bat. The freshman class on this team will also make an immediate impact, starting with catcher/outfielder Ryan January, who is solid behind the plate provides a power prsence. Shortstop Nick Shumpert has one of the best gloves in the nation and was a seventh round pick in last year’s draft. Righthander Zachary Kapihe sits in the low-90s and has a reputation of being a bulldog on the mound. Shortstop/outfielder Donivan Lopez has elite speed and can play just about anywhere while Liam Scafariello will be a threat to go to deep at any moment.

4. Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.)
The Pioneers didn’t have the season they were hoping for in 2015 but this year’s team is well built and has a lineup that can match up with any other team in the country. Dominique Jackson returns after being selected in the 11th round by the Padres and will man center field and hit near the top of the order. Getting Tyler Lancaster back healthy is huge and he is a big, strong-bodied catcher who can catch and throw while adding some power to the middle of the lineup. Middle infielder Noel Cheneau brings top end speed to the table, while outfielders Kep Brown – who’s coming off an achilles injury – and late transfer Bakari Gayle are about as good as you’ll find. Both are athletic, play solid defense and can flat out rake. On the mound the Pioneers will have Michael Bruhin, the very projectable Davis Agle and former Clemson commit Graham Lawson leading the charge.

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

Juco | Story | 6/18/2026

PG JUCO Awards & Final Top 25

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Pitcher of the Year: Nathan Leffel - RHP - Fresno City College 2026 Stat Line: 89.1 IP | 12-1 | 1.91 ERA | .83 WHIP | 118 K An outstanding individual pitching season in California JUCO baseball this spring. A model of consistency on the mound making starts in January through May for Fresno City. Worked over 89 innings on the mound and made 14 starts where he threw at least 5 innings. Ranked in the top 5 of California JUCO in wins, ERA and strikeouts. And one of the only pitchers in all of JUCO to reach the benchmarks of 10+ wins (12), a sub 2.00 ERA (1.91 ERA) and 100 strikeouts (118 K). A consistent and dominant presence on the mound for a team that went 40-5 this past spring. Congratulations to Nathan Leffel, 2026 Perfect Game JUCO Pitcher of the Year. Ryan Bradford | FR | OF@JCCCBaseball Everything I have from this spring starting with HR’s 31 & 32 today. This is...
Tournaments | Story | 7/7/2026

Two Day Rewind at 15u National Elite

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
Two days into the 2026 Perfect Game 15U National Elite Championship, the storylines are already beginning to take shape. As one of the summer’s premier invite-only events, the tournament annually brings together many of the nation’s top 15U clubs, with 100 elite teams traveling to Hoover in pursuit of a championship. While there is still plenty of baseball left to play, the opening rounds have already produced breakout performances, dominant team victories, and plenty of excitement heading into bracket play. Several nationally recognized organizations entered the week as favorites, including MTBA Dawgs, ranked No. 3 nationally, Wildcatters Baseball at No. 10, and 5 Star Mafia, ranked No. 12. Meanwhile, newer programs like Jason Kidd Select Team have quickly shown they are capable of making noise against the nation’s best. One of the biggest storylines through the first...
Tournaments | Story | 7/7/2026

15u Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
Tristan Barton (‘29, TX) has struck out three over three scoreless innings of work, getting a lively FB up to 89. Mixed in a sharp vt CB w/ late bite. Operates from a projectable RH frame w/ length + room to fill. #NatElite @Texas_PG pic.twitter.com/LXfkLOtxdo — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 5, 2026 Tristan Barton (’29, Gunter, TX) turned in a strong start on Sunday, lasting four innings of one run ball, striking out four. Barton operates from a bigger lengthy right-handed frame with considerable room to fill. He starts with a mid-body handset before working to the belt and into a high compact leg lift. Barton fires down via a compact arm action and high three quarters slot. The Texas native got a run/ride fastball up to 89, living in the mid-80s throughout the outing. He mixed in a sharp 12-6 curveball with vertical depth and late bite. Jack Graviss...
Tournaments | Story | 7/7/2026

16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1

Jason Phillips
Article Image
Nolan Ash (2028, Ashland, Mo.) showed off the power upside for Natty State 2028. The right-handed hitter starts from a spread stance with in-line feet and a high handset with a high back elbow, utilizes a leg lift stride. Creates separation and uses a direct hand path with a slightly uphill bat plane and some feel to generate lift from the lower half. Quick hands and stays in-sync with a rotational lower half and solid bat speed. Showed the power belting a solo bomb over the left field fence. Long and lean 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame with wiry strength present and more room to fill. The shortstop has a high ceiling and feel for the barrel. Colton Dodds (2028, Columbia, Mo.) showed off the barrel feel and power upside for Natty State 2028. The right-handed hitter starts from a wide base with in-line feet and a high handset with a high back elbow, utilizes a no stride trigger. Direct hands...
College | Story | 7/7/2026

Coppy's Corner: July 7 Summer Edition

John Coppolella
Article Image
It’s an exciting time for College Baseball. Not only do potential and proposed changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) elevate the game, but we are coming off a thrilling College World Series and less than a week away from Major League Baseball’s 2026 Amateur Draft. In the middle of it all is the Cape Cod Baseball League.  The amateur players on the Cape are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th  through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and...
Tournaments | Story | 7/6/2026

16u WWBA Rolls Into Marietta

Will Dembo
Article Image
More than 300 of the nation’s top 16u teams will meet in East Cobb, Georgia this week as the 16u WWBA Championship gets underway. Over 50 ranked teams from across the country will compete for one of the most prestigious titles in travel baseball, drawing scouts and fans from all over. Pool play will commence on Monday, July 6th with the championship game set for July 13th at the storied East Cobb Baseball Complex. Canes National 16u will hold honors of being the top ranked team entering the event as they have earned a No. 2 national ranking following a dominant 17-2-1 start to their season. The highly touted program is home to many of the top ranked prospects from the 2028 class including talented two-way athlete, Grant Arnold (No. 12 overall) who lives in the 90’s from the mound as well as middle infielder, Bryan Mesa (No. 14 overall) who will draw lots of attention this...
College | Story | 7/6/2026

USA Collegiate National Team: Stars

Craig Cozart
Article Image
Quick Hits  Each year at the end of June and beginning of July, top collegiate baseball talent from around the nation arrives in Cary, NC at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.  Typically, the rosters are filled with top underclass, non-draft-eligible talent but this year, we will see a sprinkling of upper-classmen as the coaches evaluate just under 60 players to get to their final 28 roster spots.  For a total of two weeks, the Stars Squad and the Stripes Squad will compete against outside competition in North Carolina as well as Virginia before finishing their slate with 5-games against each other at the NTC Complex.  Once the final roster has been announced the team will depart for Taiwan to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Championships, July 11-15.    CNT Stars Position Players  Anthony Pack Jr.  FR / OF / University of Texas ...
Draft | Mock Draft | 7/6/2026

MLB Mock Draft: 4.0

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
MLB Draft: Top 500 Update Pick Team Name Pos. School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 3 Minnesota Twins Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 4 San Francisco Giants Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 8 Athletics Chris Hacopian SS Texas A&M 9 Atlanta Braves Ryder Helfrick C Arkansas 10 Colorado Rockies Tyler Bell* SS Kentucky 11 Washington Nationals Jared Grindlinger LHP/OF Huntington Beach 12 Los Angeles Angels Cameron Flukey RHP Coastal Carolina 13 St. Louis Cardinals AJ Gracia OF Virginia 14 Miami Marlins Derek Curiel OF LSU 15 Arizona Diamondbacks Gio Rojas LHP Marjory Stoneman Douglas 16 Texas Rangers Liam Peterson RHP Florida 17 Houston Astros Justin Lebron SS Alabama 18...
Tournaments | Story | 7/5/2026

13u World Series Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Michael Wedgeworth (2030, Flomaton, AL) had put the two way ability on full display so far this week, dominating from both sides. On the mound Wedgeworth ran the fastball up to 84 (81-83) with ease to the delivery. Broke off a couple nasty curveballs that induced swing and miss, as well as freezing hitters for punch outs. Collected six in his four inning complete game. He also would not be denied at the plate going 3-5 in the first two days with two doubles. Very intriguing young player as the body continues to grow.  Tyler Bellush (2031, Summerville, SC) is a sure handed shortstop for the Canes Nation squad. Swings it from the left side of the plate and the barrel accuracy has really stuck out thus far. 3-4 through the first couple days with a double and two triples, Bellush has also walked twice and collected 3 RBI along the way. Yesterday against USA Prime with the bases loaded,...
Tournaments | Story | 7/4/2026

16u WWBA North Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Oliver Lindstrom (2028, Green Bay, WI) created some of the loudest offensive moments of the weekend while producing across the board, finishing with six hits, eight RBI, and a home run. The right-handed hitter showed the ability to stay through the baseball and drive it with authority. Creates quality leverage through the lower half while arriving in strong hitting positions early, allowing the barrel to work with intent through the zone. The blend of power, athleticism, and all-fields impact stood out throughout the event.  Dominic Haigh (2028, South Bend, IN) was one of the most productive hitters at the event, collecting 10 hits while consistently creating pressure on opposing defenses. Made life difficult on pitchers with a relentless approach, routinely extending at-bats and forcing them to work deep into counts. The operation remains simple and efficient, featuring an early...
Tournaments | Story | 7/4/2026

West Region Rankings Risers: Class of 2028

Joey Cohen
Article Image
After a heavy stretch of early summer looks, our scouting staff felt confident rolling out an updated ‘28 national ranking a couple weeks ago. The evaluation window was packed whether it was with our Memorial Day and Summer Kickoff tournaments, UBC action, Sunshine Showcases, and of course the Junior National Showcase which all provided a deep and diverse look at the class against strong competition. Between fresh game evaluations and updated showcase data, we were able to get a clearer picture of where players stand and more importantly how they’ve progressed. Improvements in strength, athleticism, and overall skill were evident across the board giving our staff real conviction when it came time to shuffle the board. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight a handful of west region prospects who made a strong impression on me this summer and earned a well-deserved jump in...
Loading more articles...