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

Video: Diving catch straight into a wall
Watch Tyler Pettigrew of Henley (Klamath Falls, Ore.) make one of the top catches of the 2016 season.


1. Jefferson (Shenandoah Junction)
Head coach: John Lowery
2016 record: 36-3

Few baseball programs in the country can match the history of the Jefferson Cougars under longtime coach John Lowery. The third all-time winningest coach in high school baseball history with 1,239 career wins, Lowery is hoping to lead Jefferson to a three-peat after winning the AAA title the past two seasons. During his tenure, the Cougars have won 12 state titles. Jefferson returns a pair of All-State players in Austin Bulman (third base), who batted .509 with 52 RBIs, 13 doubles and three home runs, and second team All-State pitcher Austin Cross, who went 10-1 with a 0.62 ERA and 88 strikeouts.

See last season's West Virginia baseball computer rankings

2. Hurricane
Head coach: Brian Sutphin
2016 record: 28-8

The Redskins had a successful season, going 13-3 in region play before falling to Nitro in the playoffs. Hurricane returns a pair of second team All-State players in pitcher Garrett Gress and infielder Aaron Perry. Gress was 6-0 with a 0.97 ERA while Perry batted .368. Honorable mention All-State picks Branson Martin (senior) and Jacob Allen (Sophomore) also return.

See the MaxPreps West Virginia baseball pro photo galleries

3. Wayne
Head coach: Caleb Dyer
2016 record: 23-12 The Pioneers won the Region 4 championship last year, but they fell in the first round of the Class AA playoffs to Pike View. Wayne has four All-State players returning, including two from the first team and two from the second. Junior Cayden Ross made the first team at utility while Dakota McCloud earned first team honors at pitcher. Second team players included Brad Sharp in the outfield and Cody Noe at utility.

See last season's MaxPreps West Virginia baseball playoff brackets

4. Bridgeport
Head coach: Robert Shields
2016 record: 30-6

The Indians have dominated Class AA for the past three seasons, posting three straight 30-win seasons to go with three straight state titles. There's reason to believe Bridgeport is not through. Although three All-State players have graduated, first team catcher Drew Hefner returns along with honorable mention picks James Harris and Brine Takahashi.

See last season's MaxPreps West Virginia baseball stat leaders

5. Cabell Midland (Ona)
Head coach: Tracy Brumfield
2016 record: 19-12

The Knights saw their season end in the Region 4 playoffs, but expect Cabell Midland to be in the hunt for a state title in 2017. The Knights return one of the state's top infielders in Kirk Jennings. He batted .419 with four home runs and 24 RBIs.