MaxPreps 2017 Oklahoma preseason high school baseball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

Video: 6-foot-10 Mitchel Stone of Deer Creek
Stone is one of the nation's best, and tallest, pitchers.


1. Shawnee
Head coach: Todd Boyer
2016 record: 30-7

The two-time defending Class 5A state champions could make it three in a row this year as coach Todd Boyer returns seven starters and two of the team's top pitchers from last year. Included in that group is catcher Jake Taylor, who batted .449 with 14 doubles and 38 RBIs. He has signed with Oklahoma State. Pitchers Tanner Sparks and Eli Davis also return. Sparks, also headed to Oklahoma State, went 10-3 while batting .418 with 43 RBIs and five home runs. Davis, meanwhile, batted .392 with 26 RBIs and 25 stolen bases while also posting a 9-1 pitching record with 112 strikeouts. He will play at Kansas.

See last season's Oklahoma baseball computer rankings presented by the Army National Guard

2. Deer Creek (Edmond)
Head coach: JP Holman
2016 record: 31-9

Deer Creek has not only one of the best pitchers in the nation, they have one of the tallest. Mitchell Stone, a 6-foot-10 lefthander, went 9-1 last year with a 0.78 ERA and 92 strikeouts. He's not the only returning pitcher for the Class 6A runners-up, however. Hunter Freese, a junior lefthander, went 5-0 last year with a 0.73 ERA. Other key returning players include seniors Ryan Westerhoff and Cole Davis.

See the MaxPreps Oklahoma baseball pro photo galleries

3. Southmoore (Moore)
Head coach: Josh Sayes
2016 record: 28-15

Southmoore did not reach the state tournament last year, but that could change in 2017. The Sabercats return one of the nation's top players in Conner Uselton, an outfielder who earned preseason MaxPreps All-American status. He batted .514 with 39 RBIs and nine home runs last year.

See last season's MaxPreps Oklahoma baseball playoff brackets

4. Owasso
Head coach: Larry Turner
2016 record: 30-8

The Rams lost to eventual Class 6A state champion Edmond Memorial in the first round of the state tournament. The 13-time state champions, most recently in 2015, are always one of the top teams to beat, although this year's squad has just seven seniors on the 35-man roster. The Rams have one of the nation's top freshmen in pitcher Nate Wohlgemuth, who played for Team USA 15U last summer.

See last season's MaxPreps Oklahoma baseball stat leaders

5. Stillwater
Head coach: Jimmy Harris
2016 record: 30-9

A total of six starters return from last year's Class 6A semifinalist, but the top returning player did not even play for the Pioneers last year. Ryan Vilade, one of the top shortstops in the nation last year at Frisco (Texas), has transferred to Stillwater. He batted .449 with six home runs. Also returning are catcher Reece Thompson (.424), rightfielder Riley Metzger (.354) and shortstop Dylan Gardner (.380).