Alabama high school baseball: 45 Tuscaloosa area standouts to watch in the postseason
With the high school baseball season turning to the Alabama state playoffs, there are plenty of Tuscaloosa area teams in the hunt for a state championship.
In the AHSAA, the action for teams in Classes 1A-6A begins this weekend, while the first round of the Class 7A playoffs start next weekend. In the AISA, teams begin first round playoff action this weekend.
Here are 45 players to watch this baseball postseason from the Tuscaloosa area.
Jalen Crocker, American Christian Academy
Why: From the mound, Crocker is 5-1 with a 1.412 ERA and 32 strikeouts through 39⅔ innings pitched. From the plate, he is batting .313 to go with 17 RBIs and one home run.
Eric Hines, American Christian Academy
Why: The junior center fielder is batting .465 on the season with 18 RBIs and five home runs.
Cade Durrett, American Christian Academy
Why: The junior third baseman is batting .395 on the season with 21 RBIs and three home runs.
Matthew Cash, Bibb County
Why: The Jacksonville State signee is 5-1 in his starts on the mound with an 0.372 ERA and 44 strikeouts through 37⅔ innings pitched. From the plate, he is batting .512 with 12 doubles, five triples, one home run, 24 RBIs, 34 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.
Macain McMillan, Bibb County
Why: McMillian is 8-0 on the mound with an ERA of 0.925 and 45 strikeouts through 45⅓ innings pitched.
Bodie Giddiens, Bibb County
Why: Giddens is hitting .397 on the season with 10 doubles, 21 RBIs and one home run.
Ethan McMillan, Bibb County
Why: McMillian is batting .366 on the season with 26 runs scored, 11 RBIs and one double.
Jacob Nations, Brookwood
Why: The senior is 5-3 on the mound with an ERA of 1.81 to go with 54 strikeouts.
Timbo Barron, Brookwood
Why: The right fielder is batting .292 on the season with 23 RBIs.
Chase Jones, Brookwood
Why: Jones is batting .282 on the season with 19 runs scored, 10 doubles and one home run.
Matt Hughes, Brookwood
Why: The center fielder is batting .281 with 24 runs scored and 15 stolen bases through the regular season.
Jake Bumgarner, Demopolis
Why: Bumgarner has gone 4-3 on the mound this season with 55 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.845 through 34⅓ innings pitched. He also has recorded 12 RBIs from the plate in 12 at-bats with eight stolen bases.
Braxton Vice, Demopolis
Why: Vice has a team-high 18 RBIs to go with 18 hits in 44 at-bats. He is batting .409.
Colton Colgrove, Demopolis
Why: Colgrove is batting .356 with 16 hits and 16 RBIs.
Brantley Stocks, Fayette County
Why: Stocks is batting .347 on the season with 35 hits, seven of them doubles, and 24 RBIs.
Cooper Sanford, Fayette County
Why: The senior is batting .360 on the season with 31 hits, 11 of them doubles and 24 RBIs.
Landon Fike, Gordo
Why: The third baseman and outfielder is batting .363 on the season to go with 28 RBIs and 33 runs scored.
Will Whitley, Gordo
Why: On the mound, Whitley has a 4-3 record with a 2.30 ERA. He is also batting .378 on the season.
Austin Baines, Gordo
Why: Baines boasts a 6-1 record on the mound with a 1.52 ERA. He also is batting a team-high .400 to go with 32 RBIs and 22 runs scored.
Jase Neel, Gordo
Why: Neel is batting .325 on the season with 18 RBIs and 38 runs scored.
Evan Williams, Hillcrest
Why: The Northwest Shoals Community College signee is hitting .342 with an on-base percentage of .537 and a slugging percentage of .579. On the season, he has 11 doubles, two triples, one home run and 19 RBIs. From the mound, he is 4-1 with one save and a 2.50 ERA with 40 strikeouts through 44 innings pitched
Jackson Henderson, Hillcrest
Why: Henderson, who is a Shelton State signee, is batting .277 with six doubles, six home runs, one triple, 27 RBIs and 20 runs scored. From the mound, he has a 6-1 record with a 0.729 ERA and 61 strikeouts through 48 innings pitched.
Kahden Smith, Hillcrest
Why: The sophomore outfielder is hitting .360 with an on-base percentage of .451 and a slugging percentage of .707. He has recorded five doubles, five home runs, three triples, 24 RBIs and 25 runs scored.
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Xander Bradford, Lamar County
Why: The senior is batting .403 with an on-base percentage of .512. He has 27 hits on the season, six doubles, 17 RBIs and 30 stolen bases.
Landon Kilpatrick, Lamar County
Why: Kilpatrick is batting .292 with an on-base percentage of .366. He has 21 hits, 14 RBIs and six stolen bases.
Chance Clardy, Lamar County
Why: Clardy is 2-3 on the mound with an ERA of 4.10 and 39 strikeouts through 44⅓ innings pitched.
Evan Malone, Northridge
Why: Malone is 4-1 in starts on the mound this season with an ERA of 1.89 to go with 45 strikeouts through 33 innings pitched.
Thomas Woolf, Northridge
Why: Through 31 innings pitched, Woolf has struck out 26 batters with an ERA of 0.384. From the plate, he has a team-high batting average of .448 and an on-base percentage of .553. He has 30 hits and 16 RBIs.
Jack Sanderson, Northridge
Why: The Auburn signee has a batting average of .386 and an on-base percentage of .480 to go with 22 hits and 17 RBIs.
Cade Senn, Northridge
Why: Senn is batting .396 on the season with an on-base percentage of .582. He has 21 hits and 10 RBIs.
Ace Gregory, Pickens Academy
Why: The outfielder has a batting average of .348 with an on-base percentage of .563.
Cole Livingston, Pickens Academy
Why: The infielder has a batting average of .438 and an on-base percentage of .618. On the mound, he has an ERA of 3.60.
Harrison Pate, Pickens Academy
Why: Pate has an ERA of 4.46 to go with a .364 batting average.
Preston Findley, Pickens Academy
Why: The outfielder has a batting average of .358.
Hayden Johnston, Southern Academy
Why: Johnson is hitting .342 on the season with 26 hits, 10 doubles, two triples and 27 RBIs. On the mound, he has a 5-4 record and an ERA of 3.19 with 64 strikeouts.
Brayden Hennigan, Southern Academy
Why: The right-handed pitcher has a 5-4 record on the mound with an ERA of 1.78 and 63 strikeouts over 59 innings pitched.
Max Wright, South Lamar
Why: Wright is batting .365 on the season with 17 singles, three doubles and three triples. He also has 15 RBIs on the season and 20 runs scored. On the mound, he has gone 5-2 with an ERA of 0.400 and 63 strikeouts through 35 innings pitched.
Kye Crimm, South Lamar
Why: Crimm is batting .391 on the season with 19 singles, five doubles, one triple, 19 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
Mason Hardin, South Lamar
Why: Hardin has gone 3-0 on the mound this season with 30 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.739 through 23 innings.
Ellis Hamiter, Tuscaloosa Academy
Why: Hamiter is batting .392 on the season with 29 hits, 30 runs scored and 20 RBIs. From the mound, he has a 4-1 record with an ERA of 1.97.
Preston Lancaster, Tuscaloosa Academy
Why: Lancaster has 33 hits on the season to go with 29 RBIs and a .384 batting average. On the mound, he has tallied up 52 strikeouts with an ERA of 2.73 over 48⅔ innings pitched.
Hayden Hinson, Tuscaloosa Academy
Why: Hinson is batting .380 on the season with 30 hits, 31 runs scored and 26 stolen bases.
Kole Nicholson, Tuscaloosa County
Why: Nicholson is hitting .327 on the season with 12 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBIs.
Camden Barnett, Tuscaloosa County
Why: Barnett is hitting .300 with five doubles, one triple, one home run and 19 RBIs.
Spencer Nicholas, Tuscaloosa County
Why: Nicholas boasts a 6-1 record on the mound with 87 strikeouts, 24 hits and 18 walks allowed through 58 innings pitched.
Anna Snyder covers high school sports and University of Alabama softball and football recruiting for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com. Follow her on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @annaesnyder2
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: High school baseball: 45 Tuscaloosa area players to watch in postseason
