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By Greg Williams
West Virginia Director of Scouting

Today we continue our season preview content which will run for three weeks leading up to the start of the 2016 high school season. We will take a look at all four regions and each classification in those regions separately. Today we turn our focus to Class AA teams that compete in Region IV. 

PRESEASON Forecast

The Wayne Pioneers graduated just one senior from a roster that won 21 games in 2015 and are our preseason pick to advance from Region IV. That loss just happens to be Kody Bowen an eight game winner on the mound. If the Pioneers' pitching staff can replace the loss of Bowen plenty of offensive fire power returns including catcher Cody Noe who led the team with a .434 average as a sophomore. Junior righty Dakota McCloud will lead the charge on the mound following a 5-3, 1.19 ERA season as a sophomore.

preseason player of the year

Chris Bailey, C/RHP, Chapmanville Regional (Class of 2017)
Bailey is a 5-foot-11, 195-pound C/RHP that hit .425 with 27 RBI while going 5-1 with a 1.85 ERA on the mound during his freshman season in 2014. The junior went on to hit .400 with 40 RBI as a sophomore in 2015. Bailey has been a main component in the Tigers advancing to the state semifinals in 2014 and to the state finals last spring. The talented two-way prospect is ranked No. 7 in the WV Class of 2017 and will be participating in the WV Top Prospect Games in June.

top prospects

[mouse over pics for player names] 

1. Chris Bailey, 2017, C/RHP, Chapmanville Regional
2. Austin Henrich, 2016, RHP, Poca
3. Josh Landis, 2016, C, Sissonville
4. Jacob Fisher, 2016, MIF, Sissonville
5. Dakota McCloud, 2017, RHP, Wayne
6. Cody Noe, 2017, C, Wayne
7. Tate Mayes, 2017, C, Nicholas County
8. Matt Justice, 2016, 2B, Herbert Hoover (Glenville State)

SEASON PREVIEW SCHEDULE

3/5   - Class AAA - Region IV
3/7   - Class AAA - Region III
3/9   - Class AAA - Region II
3/11 - Class AAA - Region I
3/13 - Class AA - Region IV
3/15 - Class AA - Region III
3/17 - Class AA - Region II
3/19 - Class AA - Region I
3/21 - Class AA - Region IV
3/23 - Class AA - Region III
3/25 - Class AA - Region II
3/27 - Class AA - Region I