Thu February 2, 2023
The 2023 High School season is quickly approaching and as usual, our staff is excited for the upcoming Spring season. Players and coaches have been working all fall and through December, in preparation for the upcoming season and as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams throughout Nevada.
Programs across the state have goals and aspirations to finish the year lifting then State Champion trophy, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes a reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams and players across the state, as we preview many of the great programs from Nevada. We will take you right up to the first pitch of this season with these team previews and we'll continue providing coverage throughout the Spring.
Continue to check back throughout the season and stay tuned into our social media channels, as we strive to be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball in Nevada. Each week we will release the PBR Nevada Top 10 Team Rankings with the initial rankings set to drop in February!
Twitter - @PBR_Nevada
Instagram - @PBR_Nevada
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TEAM PREVIEW
+ High School Name: Green Valley High School
+ Coach’s Name: Manny Llamas
+ Classification: Class 5A - Desert League
+ No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
+ No. of Returning Pitchers: 6
+ Team Strengths: Scrappy Mentality, Offensive Approach and Pitching
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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
| PLAYER | POSITION | CLASS | COMMITMENT |
| Brady Ballinger | 1B/LHP | 2023 | College of Southern Nevada |
| Chaz McNelis | OF | 2023 | College of Southern Nevada |
| Joseph Steidel | LHP | 2024 | Uncommitted |
| TJ Shaw Jr. | IF | 2024 | Uncommitted |
| Connor Apeceche | IF/C | 2024 | Uncommitted |
| Brandon Jenkins | OF | 2023 | Buena Vista University |
| Drew Cammann | IF/RHP | 2023 | Buena Vista University |
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COMMITTED PROSPECTS
| PLAYER | POSITION | CLASS | COMMITMENT |
| Brady Ballinger |
1B/LHP | 2023 | College of Southern Nevada |
| Chaz McNelis |
OF | 2023 | College of Southern Nevada |
| Brandon Jenkins | OF | 2023 | Buena Vista University |
| Drew Cammann |
IF/RHP | 2023 | Buena Vista University |
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TOP UNCOMMITTED UPPERCLASS PROSPECTS
| PLAYER | POSITION | CLASS | COMMITMENT |
| Joseph Steidel |
LHP | 2024 | Uncommitted |
| TJ Shaw Jr. |
IF | 2024 | Uncommitted |
| Connor Apeceche |
IF/C | 2024 | Uncommitted |
| Bridger Knudson | C/IF/RHP | 2024 | Uncommitted |
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TOP UNCOMMITTED UNDERCLASS PROSPECTS
| PLAYER | POSITION | CLASS | COMMITMENT |
| Jacob Ferry | IF | 2025 | Uncommitted |
| Caden Kirby | IF | 2025 | Uncommitted |
| Braylon Kolish | RHP | 2025 | Uncommitted |
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Who will have their breakout year?
Jacob Ferry and Caden Kirby will have their breakout year this Spring. Both guys have had a great Fall and Preseason and should be our middle infield this year. Bridger Knudson is also a candidate for a breakout season after throwing valuable innings for us this past season, he will be call upon in big situations again this year.
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DIRECTOR NOTES
PBR Nevada Director, Brett Harrison
The Gators have bought into the gritty style of play under Head Coach, Manny Llamas. The expectations we have for this group is that each game, they will come out with their hair on fire and play scrappy baseball down to the last out. With present senior leadership coming from a pair of College of Southern Nevada signees, Brady Ballinger and Chaz McNelis, as well as Buena Vista University signee, Brandon Jenkins, they will be the catalysts at the top of the order and the tone setters on the defensive side. Uncommitted 2024 LHP, Joseph Steidel, will be one of their top arms this Spring after coming off a junior campaign where he was called up on time and time again against some of the best teams the state had to offer and with obvious physical maturity and strength gains, he will be a guy that we expect to make big leaps this year. With the senior leadership, the Gators will rely tremendously on their Underclass group. The middle infield projects to be a pair of sophomores in Jacob Ferry (2022 Jr. Future Games Alum) and Caden Kirby, who has Big League bloodlines, where they proved themselves more than capable of holding down the critical part of a championship aspiring group and will be a solid group for years to come. Green Valley will cause some fits this Spring with the present and upcoming talent they have in this years group and you can expect them have a big 2023.
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| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| Super 60 Pro Showcase | NATIONAL | 02/05 | The MAX - McCook, IL |
| Southern Nevada Preseason ID (2023-2027) | NV | 02/08 | UNLV |
| Northern Nevada Preseason ID (2023-2027) | NV | 02/13 | University of Nevada (Mackay Stadium) - Reno, NV |
| PBR Scout Day: Reed | NV | 02/14 | Reed High School |
| PBR Scout Day: Damonte Ranch | NV | 02/15 | Damonte Ranch High School |
| PBR Scout Day: Reno | NV | 02/16 | Reno High School |
| PBR Scout Day: Moapa Valley / Virgin Valley | NV | 02/25 | Moapa Valley High School |
| Rising Stars of Southern Nevada (2027/2028) | NV | 04/02 | College of Southern Nevada |
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