Alabama High School Team Preview: Decatur Heritage Christian Academy Eagles

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 Montgomery 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: Decatur Heritage Christian Academy Eagles

Coach’s Name: Steve Meek

Classification: AHSAA 2A 

Area Number: Area 14 

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6 

No. of Returning Pitchers: 8 

Team Strengths: Experience 

Top Returning Players:

• RHP/OF Cole O’Brien (2022)
• RHP/SS Tyler Founds (2022)
• C/OF Nash Rippen (Wallace-Hanceville, 2022)

Top 2022 Prospects:

• RHP/3B Tyler Olive (2022)

Top 2023 Prospects:

• UTL Bo Solley (2023)

Top 2024 & 2025 Prospects:

• RHP/UTL Bryant Sparkman (2025)
• RHP/UTL Paxton Tarver (2025)

Team Outlook

The Decatur Heritage Christian Academy Eagles are coming off a stellar 2021 season that saw them reach the Elite 8 in the Class 2A State Playoffs. With a lot of that talent from last year's team coming back, the Eagles look poised for another deep run throughout Class 2A in 2022.

The Eagles have three really important pieces coming back from last year's team that will definitely lead the way this spring. RHP/OF Cole O'Brien is an uncommitted senior who is a really talented two-way prospect. O'Brien, who shouldn't be uncommitted for too much longer, has been up to 85 mph with his fastball and will also be depended on offensively hitting the middle of the order. RHP/SS Tyler Founds is another senior who has signed a football scholarship with Troy, but is also a quality baseball player as well. He's a really athletic player who should be one of the leaders of this team in 2022. C/OF Nash Rippen (Wallace-Hanceville CC) is another quality hitter returning for the Eagles who enjoyed an impressive junior season. Rippen will continue to play a huge role in the offense this year hitting in the middle of the order.

Decatur Heritage Christian Academy also brings back some more notable players that played crucial roles in last year's playoff run. RHP/3B Tyler Olive & UTL Bo Solley are a pair of upperclassmen who should be solid all-around for this team, as they both bring different skillsets to this team. A couple of underclassmen to watch for over the coming years will be RHP/UTL Bryant Sparkman & RHP/UTL Paxton Tarver. Sparkman is a Top-15 freshman in the state and is sure to log some important innings this year. The Eagles should be right back in the thick of it in Class 2A in 2022.

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