Alabama high school baseball: 52 Gadsden area baseball players to watch early in the season
The Alabama high school baseball season is getting underway this month and there are plenty of Gadsden area standouts who will look to make names for themselves this year.
Here are 52 baseball players to watch:
Angelo Alberghina, Southside
Junior, middle infield
Why: Alberghina hit .385 with 21 RBI last year and stole 26 bases.
Easton Albert, Gaston
Senior
Why: Albert hit .302 with nine RBIs.
Bray Bearden, Hokes Bluff
Catcher
Why: Bearden got on base at a rate of 45% of the time.
Brodie Bennett, Etowah
Senior, centerfield
Why: Bennett is a returning starter on the Class 4A state champions.
Jackson Bonner, Jacksonville
Junior, First Base
Why: Bonner hit .325 last year with 19 RBI.
Cameron Carden, Westbrook Christian
Senior, outfield
Why chosen: A second team all-state honoree, Carden look to have a big season this year.
Landon Carroll, Sardis
Senior, Centerfield
Why: Carroll has been a three-year starter for the Lions and will look to help them return to the state title series.
Gavin Chambers, Sylvania
Senior, pitcher/INF
Why: Chambers hit .277 last year with an on-base percentage of .344.
Jeb Crane, Cherokee County
Senior, pitcher, shortstop
Why: Crane is a West Alabama commit.
Damon Devine, Etowah
Junior, Pitcher, infield
Why: Devine had eight saves last year.
Blake Dobbins, Fyffe
Junior, Pitcher
Why: Dobbins will look to hold down the Red Devil rotation.
Corbin Driskell, Southside
Junior, Catcher
Why: Driskell hit .410 with six homeruns and 38 RBIs, he added 21 extra base hits.
Will Gants, Sylvania
Junior, Catcher, First base
Why: Gants is 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds and hit .297 last season.
Blaze Gerhart, Sardis
Senior, pitcher
Why: An all-state selection at designated hitter and helped lead the Lions to the state championship series at pitcher. He is committed to Snead State.
Carson Gillilan, Sardis
Senior, First Base
Why: Gillilan is a three-year starter for the Lions.
Jace Golden, West End
Pitcher, first base
Why: Golden is a transfer from Albertville that the Patriots are going to rely on to hold down the corner infield.
Will Greenwood, Jacksonville
Senior, Pitcher, Centerfield
Why: Greenwood hit .324 last year with seven extra-base hits.
Jaden Harris, Ashville
Junior, pitcher, shortstop, centerfield
Why: Harris will be at the top of the order for the Bulldogs, while switching between infield and outfield.
Brayson Hayes, Hokes Bluff
Senior, First base
Why: Hayes earned All-state honors as a sophomore before battling injury last year. He still hit .264 with an on-base percentage of .438.
Cash Hayes, Etowah
Junior, Centerfield
Why: Hayes was a .300 hitter getting on base 50% of the time. He added 18 stolen bases as well.
Luke Hollingsworth, Gaston
Senior
Why: Hollingsworth hit .323 last year with eight doubles and 25 RBI.
Shelby Houston, Southside
Pitcher, infield
Why: Houston went 3-1 with an ERA of 1.16 with 22 strikeouts over 30 innings of work.
Connor Humphrey, Gaston
Junior
Why: Humphrey hit .402 with 17 RBI last season.
Kutter Johnson, Southside
Pitcher, infield
Why: Johnson went 5-1 with an ERA of 2.5 with 50 strikeouts in 42 innings.
Braden Kay, Westbrook Christian
Junior, Pitcher
Why: Kay had an ERA of 4.3 with 27 strikeouts in 27 innings of work, but has grown since last season.
Jeremiah Killian, Collinsville
Freshman
Why: Killian was a .398 hitter last season.
Brady Kitchens, Glencoe
Senior, pitcher
Why: Kitchens threw 47 strikeouts with an ERA of 1.89.
Glavine Lamberth, Hokes Bluff
Junior, pitcher and third base
Why: Lamberth hit .381 with an ERA of 2.8.
Gavin Lang, Collinsville
Freshman, pitcher
Why chosen: Lang earned all-state honors last year after throwing 75 strikeouts with an ERA of 1.21. At the plate, he excelled batting .402 with 33 runs scored.
Drew Layfield, Ashville
Pitcher, shortstop
Why: Layfield will be the main guy on the mound for the Bulldogs and is one of their top hitters.
Easton Layfield, Ashville
Freshman, Middle infield, Centerfield
Why: Layfield will help near the top of the order, while locking down the middle of the field on defense.
Jacob Maples, Westbrook Christian
Sophomore, Outfield
Why: Maples hit .300 last season with 10 stolen bases.
Levi Martin, Sardis
Senior, Right field
Why: Levi Martin is a two-year starter while playing other sports for the Lions.
Eli Mattox, Sylvania
Soph., Shortstop
Why: Mattox has been an everyday starter at shortstop since the eighth grade.
Jackson Mayo, West End
Junior, Middle infield
Why: Mayo will look to hold down the middle of the infield for the Patriots.
Mason McAteer, Collinsville
Freshman, Shortstop
Why: McAteer hit .414 with 44 runs scored last year while getting on base 51% of the time.
Anderson Morgan, Hokes Bluff
Shortstop
Why: Morgan hit .339 last year, getting on base 41% of the time.
Baylor Morrison, Etowah
Freshman, Shortstop
Why: Morrison is a top-10 player according to PBR after hitting .300 his eighth grade season.
Dylan Palmer, Ashville
Soph., Catcher
Why: Palmer has a pop-up time of 2.15 seconds and brings a strong arm behind the plate, while providing some bang on offense.
Jayden Patton, Glencoe
Junior, Catcher
Why: Patton caught runners stealing at a 49% clip last year.
Gavin Peeler, Jacksonville
Senior, Catcher
Why: Peeler hit .361 with 16 RBI last season.
Dylan Rainey, Westbrook Christian
Junior, Utility
Why chosen: Rainey is a transfer from Southside, earning all-state honors. He hit .385 with 24 RBI and 17 runs scored. He was a selection to the Gadsden Times 99 athletes to watch list under baseball.
Trent Rowell, Glencoe
Senior, middle infield
Why: Rowell hit .383 last year with an on-base percentage of .519.
Trenton Rowell, Fyffe
Senior, DH
Why: Rowell will look to provide a bang to the Red Devil lineup.
Rock Sainsbury, West End
Senior, Pitcher/shortstop
Why: Sainsbury is one of West End's top hitters and looks to be at the top of lineup.
Jameson Scissum, Etowah
Junior, Pitcher
Why chosen: A Mississippi State commit, Scissum was the Class 4A State Championship series MVP. Scissum went 9-1 last year with a 1.2 ERA. He is multi-sport star athlete, accounting for more than 2,500 yards at quarterback and scoring 20+ points a game in basketball. He was selected to the Gadsden Times 99 athletes to watch list.
Colton Shields, Hokes Bluff
Pitcher
Why: Shields struck out 54 batters last year with an ERA of 3.3
Slade St. Clair, Etowah
Senior, Second base
Why: St. Clair led the team in RBI last season.
Trey Thornton, Sardis
Senior, Second base
Why: Thornton with committed to Lawson State and will look to help the Lions get back to the state title series.
Carson Tittle, Cherokee County
Junior, infield
Why: Tittle earned all-state honors last year, but he injured his knee during football. If Tittle can make it back, he'll be one to watch for. He was selected to the Gadsden Times 99 athletes to watch list.
Zeke Voytek, Gaston
Senior
Why: Voytek hit .375 last year with 10 RBI and five doubles.
Russ Wiggs, Sardis
Senior, short stop, pitcher
Why: Wiggs is a Snead State commit.
Maxwell Donaldson covers high school sports and Jacksonville State athletics for the Gadsden Times. Find him on Twitter/X @_Max_Donaldson and contact him at MDonaldson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: 52 Gadsden area high school baseball players to watch early in the season
