Alabama High School Team Preview: Buckhorn Bucks
February 16, 2022
The 2022 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Alabama.
Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Jacksonville & Oxford at the AISA or AHSAA state championships, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Alabama. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing our scheduled podcasts and releasing our preseason Top 10 in each AHSAA classification.
Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state. Each week we will be releasing our players of the week, updating the Top 10 in each AHSAA classification as well as a Power 25. One thing that you especially don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state as well as recaps and previews of big games across the state.
*Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.
High School Name: Buckhorn Bucks
Coach’s Name: Jeff Wood
Classification: AHSAA 6A
Area Number: Area 16
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 8
No. of Returning Pitchers: 5
Team Strengths: Hitting
Top Returning Players:
- RHP/SS Dylan Campbell (Southern Union CC, 2022)
- OF Tyler Zawacki (2022)
- 1B/RHP Luke Price (Lawson State CC, 2022)
- OF Ayden Mason (2022)
- 3B/RHP Gavin Dodd (2022)
- RHP/INF Chase Ambrose (2023)
- OF Cameron Winebarger (2022)
- C/INF Nick Ayers (2022)
Top 2022 Prospects:
- C/RHP Lance Lodge (2022)
Top 2023 Prospects:
- LHP/1B Brian Henson (2023)
Top 2024 & 2025 Prospects:
- INF/RHP Jonathan Preston (2024)
- INF/RHP Gunner Dodd (2024)
- OF/LHP Zach Bradford (2024)
- INF/RHP Jack Rupe (2024)
- INF/RHP Josh Henson (2025)
- C Xavier Burress (2025)
Team Outlook
The Buckhorn Bucks come into the spring of 2022 with high hopes of making it back to the Class 6A State Playoffs this spring. The Bucks return eight positional players and five pitchers who saw time on last year's team, so they have plenty of experience coming back for this season.
The Generals have eight returning players both from the lineup, so offensive should be one of the main strengths for this team. RHP/SS Dylan Campbell (Southern Union CC) will be a player the Bucks rely on greatly this spring, as he returns a lot of experience both at the plate and on the mound. OF Tyler Zawacki, 1B/RHP Luke Price (Lawson State CC), OF Ayden Mason, OF Cameron Winebarger, 3B/RHP Gavin Dodd & C/INF Nick Ayers are all returning seniors, like Campbell, who should lead the way for this Buckhorn squad. RHP/INF Chase Ambrose (2023) is a top-30 player in the junior class in Alabama that has an upper-80's fastball and handles the bat well from the right side. C/RHP Lance Lodge & LHP/1B Brian Henson are a pair of upperclassmen to watch for this spring, as well.
In addition to these upperclassmen mentioned above, there will also be some younger players who are eager to get on the playing field and make an impact for the Bucks. Buckhorn should once again be very competitive in Class 6A and have enough returners to make it back to the playoffs.
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