The 2016 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament is set to begin this Friday in Mesa, Arizona at Sloan Park, the Spring Training home of the Chicago Cubs. The event gives players from around the country the opportunity to showcase their skills, make a name for themselves and get noticed by college coaches.

Some of the best players from the ’17 grad class will take part in this elite showcase with the chance to make their mark as a Pre-Season All-American with the ultimate goal of being named an Under Armour All-American and to play this summer in Chicago at Wrigley Field.

Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and Chairman of the Under Armour All-America Game Committee, Steve Bernhardt gives his take on the 10 players to watch from the 2017 grad class at this weekend’s Pre-Season All-America Tournament:

Nick Allen

Nick Allen (San Diego, CA) – We recently saw Nick at the Futures West event last September, and the smooth-fielding infielder proved to be among the best defensive infielders in the entire ’17 class as his instincts, actions, hands and arm strength are all pluses. To boot, he shows a contact bat with a simple approach at the plate. Allen has committed to USC to play for the Trojans.

Cole Brannen

Cole Brannen (Elko, GA) – We’ve seen Cole work his way up at Baseball Factory events, dating all the way back to an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in Kennesaw, GA in June of 2013, on to Baseball Factory’s Pre-Season Rookie Tournament in January of 2014 and two very tough showcase events (National East and Futures South) in 2015. Brannen has all the tools across the board in the outfield. He’s a rare commodity – a plus runner with left-handed power, a hard-to-find combination. He’ll take his talents next to Georgia Southern.

Jack Conlon

Jack Conlon (Sugar Land, TX) – Conlon is now a back-to-back Pre-Season All-American and is a physical right-handed pitcher with downhill plane on his low 90’s fastball. What’s exciting about Conlon is his easy arm action, pointing to more in the tank as he continues to mature. He really competes on the mound and likes pitching inside to both right and left-handed hitters. Overall, the 6’4″, 215 pound Texas A&M commit has the makings of a complete arm that can compete at high levels.

Joshua Hatcher

Joshua Hatcher (Albany, GA) – Heady, capable and talented all-around player with no real glaring weakness. Hatcher can play both the OF and first base well and ran a 6.99 60-yard dash at the Futures South event last October. Offensively, a nice, fluid left-handed stroke that translates to a high-level hit and power combo and is among the top first baseman defenders in the 2017 class.

Kyle Hurt

Kyle Hurt (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) – Hurt is a polished strike thrower who makes for uncomfortable at-bats for hitters. Big and athletic at 6’4″, 205 pounds, Hurt has shown a repeatable delivery and solid off-speed offerings. At last October’s Futures West event, the USC commit had his fastball clocked in the low 90’s and a change-up that he threw for a ton of strikes, sitting between 78-81 mph.

Garrett Mitchell

Garrett Mitchell (Anaheim, CA) – A dynamic athlete that is headed to UCLA to play for the Bruins, Mitchell can run and swing the bat well from the left side. We saw him at last September’s Futures West event where he ran an impressive 6.40 in the 60-yard dash, good enough for the top time from all 2017 grads during the event. At the plate he had a very nice at-bat against a tough lefty, sending a ball to the left center field gap for a triple. He’s a big-time CF prospect who impacts the game at the plate, in the field and on the base paths.

Ben Ramirez

Ben Ramirez (Chula Vista, CA) – Ramirez, like Hurt and Allen, is headed to USC to play collegiately for the Trojans. All three grew up playing with each other and will all continue their careers together in Southern California. Ramirez is polished and smooth in everything he does on the field. He has a pretty left-handed stroke to go with soft, sure hands on a projectable frame.

Roy Thurman

Roy Thurman (Indianapolis, IN) – Thurman is a strong, physical young outfielder with an easy stroke that results in hard contact. He shows a simple and repeatable stroke that can handle velocity, while also being able to easily adjust to off-speed stuff. The 6’0″, 200 pound outfielder is headed to the University of Louisville and is an intriguing prospect to watch this weekend.

Cole Turney

Cole Turney (Richmond, TX) – Turney is making back-to-back appearances in the Pre-Season All-America Tournament and has committed to Arkansas. He has a natural, rhythmic left-handed stroke that produces some serious noise with legit raw power to the pull side. From his first National Tryout in November 2014 in Tomball, TX to the Futures Texas event in November, this prospect can flat out hit. It’s easy to see he has a great feel of hitting with his confidence and plus pitch recognition.

Drew Waters

Drew Waters (Woodstock, GA) – Athletic, wiry-strong outfielder with quick-twitch actions and high-energy style. He’s a switch-hitter with pop from both sides and all-around solid tools. Defensively, he attacks the baseball and throws leave his hand with ease and find the target because of his arm strength. He’ll stay in state, committing to the University of Georgia to play for the Bulldogs.