Alabama High School Team Preview: Central Phenix City Red Devils

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: Central Phenix City Red Devils

Coach’’s Name: AJ Kehoe

Classification: AHSAA 7A 

Area Number: Area 4

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5 

No. of Returning Pitchers: 1 

Team Strengths: Athleticism, Speed, Depth 

Top Returning Players:

• 1B Brody Capps (Wallace-Dothan CC, 2022)
• SS Caleb Johnson (Jacksonville State, 2022)
• OF/LHP Bryce Sanders (2022)
• OF Jax Yoxtheimer (2023)
• INF Carson Gilley (2023)
• OF Caleb Nix (2022)
• OF Preston Bedford (2023)

Top 2022 Prospects:

• RHP/SS Landon Russell (Auburn, 2022)
• C/RHP Hayden Wippert (2022)

Top 2024 & 2025 Prospects:

• 1B Landon Beaver (2024)
• 3B/RHP Hunter Wippert (2024)

Team Outlook

The Central Phenix City Red Devils should once again be one of the more competitive & talented teams in Class 7A, as they debut in our Preseason Top-10 at No. 3. The Red Devils made it to the Class 7A Final Four last spring, but was ultimately defeated by Auburn, who went on to win the 7A title, in a competitive series.

Looking at the roster for 2022, the Red Devils lose a good bit on the mound from last year but have the pieces to build a quality staff with some newcomers sliding into bigger roles. At the plate, Central Phenix City returns five everyday starters from last year's team, and should be one of the strengths for this year's club. 1B Brody Capps (Wallace-Dothan CC) returns as the leading hitter from last year after posting a stellar junior campaign. Capps will look to once again pace the Red Devils' offensive with gap-to-gap pop from the right side of the plate. SS Caleb Johnson (Jacksonville State) & OF/LHP Bryce Sanders are two more key seniors returning for their final year after hitting in the heart of the Red Devils' lineup. Both have come up with some big hits in the past, and Sanders should be one of their top arms in the rotation. Central Phenix City also gets a big boost by adding RHP/SS Landon Russell (Auburn), the No. 1 player in the '22 class, to their roster in the off-season. Russell is one of the best athletes in the state and has gotten up to 93 mph on the mound with a wipeout slider. OF Jax Yoxtheimer, MIF Carson Gilley & OF Preston Bedford are a trio of juniors who bring valuable experience to the table and should play a big role for the Red Devils. OF Caleb Nix, a quarterback who has signed with Clemson, brings plenty of athleticism to the table with 28 stolen bases last spring and should play one of the outfield spots this year. C/RHP Hayden Wippert will be another senior to watch for this spring, as well.

The Red Devils also have some talented youngsters throughout their roster that should compete for some playing time this spring. 1B Landon Beaver is a physical left-handed bat that should be a run-producer for this program in the coming years, while 3B/RHP Hunter Wippert is another physical sophomore that has been up into the upper-80's on the mound with pop from the right side of the plate. Expect the Red Devils to be right back in the middle of Class 7A at the end of the year.