Alabama high school baseball: Here are 46 Tuscaloosa area players to watch for 2024
With the Alabama high school baseball season here, there are several impactful players to watch in the Tuscaloosa area.
The baseball season starts Feb. 15 for all AHSAA schools. The final day for area games for 1A-6A will be on April 16, and for 7A, April 23.
The first round of the 2024 playoffs are set for April 19-20, and that will feature schools from 1A-6A. The 7A schools will begin their first round April 26-27, when 1A-6A will feature their second rounds. The third round runs May 3-4 and the 1A-7A semifinals are set for May 10-11.
The state finals will run from May 13-18, and will take place in Oxford and Jacksonville.
Here are 46 players from Tuscaloosa-area schools to watch for the upcoming baseball season:
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Eric Hines, American Christian Academy
Junior, outfielder
Hines recorded a .381 batting average with 13 doubles, five home runs and a .636 slugging percentage in his sophomore season for the Patriots in 2023.
Bubba Lester, American Christian Academy
Senior, shortstop
In his junior season for the Patriots in 2023, Lester posted a .364 batting average with nine doubles and 20 stolen bases.
Coltyn Mitchell, American Christian Academy
Senior, pitcher
Mitchell pitched 68⅓ innings, a 5-6 record, 73 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA for the Patriots in 2023.
Matthew Cash, Bibb County
Senior, pitcher/shortstop
Cash recorded a .432 batting average with three home runs and 43 RBIs for the Choctaws in 2023. On the mound, Cash had 49 innings pitched, a 4-4 record, a save, 58 strikeouts and a 2.27 ERA. He is committed to Jacksonville State.
Daniel Stringfellow, Bibb County
Junior, pitcher
Stringfellow had 47⅔ innings pitched, a 6-2 record, 54 strikeouts and a 1.90 ERA for the Choctaws in 2023.
Bodie Giddiens, Bibb County
Junior, third base
Giddiens recorded a .313 batting average with 12 RBIs in his sophomore season for the Choctaws in 2023.
Jacob Nations, Brookwood
Senior, pitcher
Nations recorded a 6-2 record with 52 strikeouts and a 2.10 ERA last season for the Panthers.
Chase Jones, Brookwood
Senior, shortstop
Jones recorded a .300 batting average with 22 RBIs for the Panthers in his junior season in 2023.
Matt Hughes, Brookwood
Senior, outfielder
Hughes recorded a .310 batting average along with 18 stolen bases for the Panthers in 2023.
Ryken Wetzel, Brookwood
Senior, third base
Wetzel posted a .278 batting average with 15 RBIs in his junior season for the Panthers in 2023.
Armani White, Central
Freshman, shortstop/pitcher
White recorded a .328 batting average and .423 on-base percentage, with 12 RBIs and 16 stolen bases for the Falcons in 2023.
Marcus Muse, Central
Freshman, first base/third base
Muse posted a .356 batting average with a .441 on-base percentage and 19 RBIs for the Falcons in 2023.
Jeremiah Carlise, Central
Senior, outfielder
Carlise recorded a .308 batting average, a .514 OBP, 22 runs, 18 walks and 18 stolen bases for the Falcons in 2023.
Braylond Smith, Central
Junior, outfielder/third base/pitcher
Treyvon Jones, Central
Senior, second base/outfielder
Demarion Pippen, Central
Junior, third base/pitcher
Brantley Stocks, Fayette County
Senior, second base
Stocks recorded a .360 batting average, 45 hits, seven doubles and two home runs for the Tigers in 2023.
Cooper Sanford, Fayette County
Senior, shortstop/pitcher
Sanford posted a .410 batting average with 14 doubles and 49 hits for the Tigers in his junior season.
Harrison Unger, Fayette County
Senior, pitcher/first base
Unger recorded 58 strikeouts with a 1.38 ERA on the mound for the Tigers in 2023.
Jase Neel, Gordo
Junior, outfielder
Neel hit .333 as a sophomore last season and is expected to be the team's leadoff hitter again in 2024.
Landon Fike, Gordo
Senior, pitcher/infielder
Fike hit .327 for the Green Wave in 2023. He also went 6-1 as a pitcher.
Austin Baines, Gordo
Senior, outfielder/pitcher
Baines hit .378 in 2023. On the mound, he pitched a 6-2 record with a 1.83 ERA last season.
Will Whitley, Gordo
Senior, pitcher
The 2023 3A Pitcher of the Year, Whitley recorded a 13-1 record with a 1.32 ERA for the Green Wave last season.
Evan Williams, Hillcrest
Senior, pitcher/catcher
Williams recorded a .408 batting average with three home runs, 30 RBIs and 21 runs scored for the Patriots last season. On the mound, Williams threw for 34⅔ innings for a 4-3 record with a 2.63 ERA. He was named to the North-South All-Star game this past summer.
Jackson Henderson, Hillcrest
Senior, pitcher/outfielder
Henderson posted a .355 batting average with four home runs, 30 RBIs and 21 runs scored for the Patriots last season. He also threw 54⅓ innings for a 6-4 record and a 4.10 ERA.
Reed Simmons, Holy Spirit
Senior, pitcher/shortstop
Simmons had the most stolen bases and was the team's most valuable pitcher for the Saints in 2023.
Trent Ewart, Holy Spirit
Senior, catcher/pitcher
Ewart had the highest batting average and was second in RBIs for the Saints in 2023.
Xander Bradford, Lamar County
Senior, pitcher
A 2023 All-State selection, Bradford recorded a .476 batting average and .582 on-base percentage wiht seven doubles, two triples and 25 stolen bases for the Bulldogs last season. He also pitched 14 innings with 11 strikeouts and a 2.50 ERA.
Dalton Adams, Lamar County
Senior, pitcher
Adams recorded a .308 batting average with a .488 OBP, seven doubles and two home runs for the Bulldogs in 2023. He also pitched 27 innings with 17 strikeouts and a 5.1 ERA.
Ridge Brown, Lamar County
Freshman, pitcher
Brown recorded a .377 batting average, a .582 OBP, eight doubles and three triples for the Bulldogs last season. He also pitched 40 innings with 75 strikeouts and a 1.22 ERA. He will be out until April due to a torn ACL.
Jack Sanderson, Northridge
Senior, pitcher/outfielder
Sanderson recorded a .326 batting average with 27 RBIs and nine stolen bases for the Jaguars in 2023. He also pitched 16 innings with 20 strikeouts and a 5.88 ERA. Sanderson is committed to Auburn.
Milo Obradovich, Northridge
Senior, catcher/outfielder
Obradovich posted a .290 batting average with 28 RBIs and five stolen bases for the Jaguars in 2023.
Thomas Woolf, Northridge
Junior, pitcher/infielder
The 2023 All-State selection posted a .273 batting average with 11 RBIs for the Jaguars last season. On the mound, he threw 55 innings with 42 strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA.
Brandon Gooden, Paul W. Bryant
Senior, third base/outfielder/pitcher
Gooden is a key returning piece of the Stampede squad under coach Dondrae Collins that finished 14-14 last season.
Jayden Smith, Paul W. Bryant
Senior, shortstop/outfielder/pitcher
Smith is expected to be a top contributor to the Bryant team this season.
Tyler Priess, Pickens County
Senior, pitcher/outfielder
Jackson Shelton, Pickens County
Senior, third base/first base
Brayden Hennigan, Southern Academy
Sophomore, pitcher
Hayden Johnston, Southern Academy
Senior, pitcher/third base
Johnston was selected as a 2023 AISA All-Star for the Cougars.
J.R. Copeland, Southern Academy
Senior, catcher
Nate Stiles, Sulligent
Senior, pitcher/outfielder
Stiles pitched a 5-0 record, with four saves, 49 strikeouts and a 1.13 ERA for the Blue Devils in 2023.
Kenyon Taylor, Sulligent
Senior, outfielder/utility
Taylor recorded a .327 batting average with a .424 OBP and 15 RBIs for the Blue Devils last season.
Brody Clark, Sulligent
Senior, third base/catcher
Clark hit for a .310 batting average and a .463 on-base percentage in his junior season for the Blue Devils in 2023.
Spencer Nicholas, Tuscaloosa County
Senior, pitcher
Nicholas pitched 49⅓ innings with a 6-3 record, 62 strikeouts and just seven walks for the Wildcats in 2023. He is committed to Coastal South CC.
Rylee Pate, Tuscaloosa County
Senior, outfielder
Pate posted a .340 batting average with 20 stolen bases for the Wildcats in 2023. He will return to his leadoff slot for this season. He is committed to Bevill-Fayette CC.
JD Ray, Winfield
Senior, pitcher
Ray pitched 53 innings with 52 strikeouts and a 1.70 ERA for the Pirates in 2023.
Walt Hennicke, Winfield
Junior, third base
Hennicke posted a .357 batting average with a .559 on-base percentage for the Pirates in 2023.
Brady May, Winfield
Junior, shortstop
May recorded a .343 batting average with a .486 on-base percentage and 16 stolen bases in his sophomore season for the Pirates in 2023.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Players to watch for Tuscaloosa area high school baseball in 2024
