Fri February 5, 2016
By John Cackowski
State Director
Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the top 50 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage. The top 50 teams are picked from all classifications, and are not divided up by class level: To see entire list click HERE
Team: Grand Junction Central
Preseason Rank: 39
2014 Record: 14-7
Conference: Southwestern
CHSAA Class: 5A
Head Coach: Chuck Yost
Playoff Run: Lost to Grandview 11-1 in 5A District 2 Championship game.
2015 Final Rank: 38
Returning Starters: 2
Returning Pitchers: 1
TOP PLAYERS:
Trey Garcia, 3B/RHP, 2016
Tanner Huskey, SS/3B, 2016
Hunter Kelchner, RHP, 2017
X-FACTOR:
How will the Warriors replace 7 graduated starting seniors from 2015?
OTHER PLAYERS THAT COULD MAKE AN IMPACT
Koby Steves, MIF, 2017
KEY PLAYER LOST:
Jeremy Champlin: Garden City CC
STAT RAT:
The Warriors have averaged 13 wins a year since 2010
BOTTOM LINE:
The Warriors are always a team that flies under the radar. Coming off a successful 14-7 2015 season, the Warriors will look to reload in 2016 after graduating 7 senior starters. 2016 3B/RHP Trey Garcia returns in 2016. Last spring Garcia hit .342 and led the team in RBI's (23) and Doubles (9). Garcia will be counted on to bring production in the middle of the lineup. 2016 MIF Tanner Huskey returns. We saw Huskey at our Unsigned Senior games in August and came away impressed. Huskey ran a 6.84 60 and showed some pop with his bat with a 86 mph exit velocity. Huskey hit .353 in 2015 scoring 15 runs. He will most likely hit leadoff in 2016. 2017 RHP Hunter Kelchner has a chance to be the horse on the mound in 2016. In 2015 Kelchner pitched 15 innings going 1-0 with a 2.23 ERA and struck out 16 batters. At 6-foot-4 Kelchner already has a big frame on the mound. The Warriors have averaged 13 wins a season since 2010. Even though they graduated 7 seniors, expect them to reload and be competitive again in 2016
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