Oregon Power 12: Preseason

March 13, 2022
Dan Jurik & PBR Staff

Let’s not make it any more complicated than it needs to be; high school baseball is 100% back! Tomorrow will be the start of a season that is sure to be unlike anything these players have experienced. The last “normal” high school season took place in 2019. Which means this upcoming year will be the first taste of normal Varsity action for an overwhelming majority of the state. With the exception of players who were up on varsity as Freshman, the remaining core of HS athletes have been waiting for this moment for 2 years.

From March 14th till June 4th, we’ll be treated to all the sights and sounds of baseball. From the emotional highs to the heart breaking lows. There will be clutch performances, breakout players, walk-offs and upsets. All of the necessary ingredients that lead up to an eventful and fulfilling playoff experience.

As we look forward to following as much action as possible over the next few months, we wanted to kick off the 2022 season with our first Power 12 rankings of the top teams in 6A and 5A. Similar to last season, our list will focus on the 6A and 5A levels but we are not ruling out the opportunity for other teams to play their way into the mix.

These Power 12 rankings will be continuously updated throughout the season based on our evaluations.

Without further ado, here is our Top 12 heading into the start of the 2022 season…

oregon power 12

preseason

Armed with a pitching staff that can arguably rival any team in the entire country, Jesuit starts at the #1 spot in our list. Senior LHP Nelson Keljo (Oregon State commit) will have plenty of eyes on him this spring from MLB evaluators.

But before the draft kicks off, he's going to be a front runner for POY accolades as he leads a staff that includes '23 RHP Noble Meyer (Oregon commit) and one of the top uncommitted '23 arms in the state with RHP Ty Alleman. Although the pitching will get a well deserved amount of attention, the offensive has the chance to be overpowering with college bound seniors such as '22 Jackson Bui and '22 Ryan Hart and a loaded junior class that features Oregon commit Ryan Cooney, Oregon State commit Levi Jones and uncommitted INF/RHP Carson Gantz and C Brock Leitgeb.

While there are plenty of high powered arms that can challenge Jesuit on any given day, the overall strength of their roster is tough to match and the #1 spot is theirs to lose right now.

Amongst the teams in the 7-12 range, there is a mix of high profile arms as well as offensive depth. One team to keep an eye on in 2022 is Tigard. They figure to be strong at the top of their rotation with '23 RHP Buddy Brands (Oregon commit) leading the way.

And they're especially strong on defensive with a core of Cam Masters-Doble, Jackson Barnachea, Isaac Hertzog and JD Cannon already having varsity experience. Not to mention one of the fastest players in the state with '22 Charlie Peters (Lane CC commit).

Stay tuned for more news and updates on how things shake out over the next coming months.