The 2024 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 the Jacksonville/Oxford/Montgomery area 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 rankings 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 ranks in each AHSAA classification, as well updating our Power 25 overall rankings. One thing, especially, you don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state, as well as the recaps and previews of the big games we’re covering.

*Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state, based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason.

High School: Scottsboro Wildcats
Head Coach: Cade Medley
Classification: AHSAA Class 5A
Area Number: Class 5A, Area 15
2023 Record (Finish): 18-14 (Eliminated in 1st Round)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 6
Team Strengths: Team Defense, Pitching

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• LHP Luke Dixson (2024; uncommitted)
• 3B/RHP Eli Sparks (2024; uncommitted)
• OF/RHP Thomas Stewart (2024; uncommitted)
• C/RHP Trent Wilson (2025; uncommitted)

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MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2024

• SS/RHP Druw Smith (2024; uncommitted)

Class of 2025

• OF/RHP John Carter Heikkinen (2025; uncommitted)
• RHP/OF Garrett Venable (2025; uncommitted)

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TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

• 3B/RHP Hunter Hancock (2026)
• 1B/RHP Jackson Nichols (2026)
• INF Cohen Thompson (2026)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Scottsboro Wildcats are coming off a strong 2023 season where posted an 18-14 record and reached the Class 5A playoffs. Returning a good amount of production from last year's team, especially on the mound, the Wildcats look ready for another successful season.

The Wildcats finished as the runner-up in their area a season ago behind Arab, who was one of the top teams in Class 5A, and traveled on the road in their 1st round playoff series to Leeds. The Wildcats pushed that series to three games, but were unable to advance and closed their season with an 18-14 record. This year's team hopes to build off of last year and aims for an area title with hopes of a deep playoff run in Class 5A. LHP Luke Dixson (2024) returns as one of their top arms and is one of the top competitors in their program. He'll be relied on heavily this spring, as will 3B/RHP Eli Sparks (2024) and OF/RHP Thomas Stewart (2024). Both are seniors who are hoping to have breakout seasons after experiencing some success as juniors a season ago. C/RHP Trent Wilson (2025) is described as one of the hardest workers on the team, and hopes it will continue to pay off this spring. The junior backstop posted a .333 batting average a season ago with 27 hits and 21 runs scored. SS/RHP Druw Smith (2024) is another upperclassmen name to watch for, as are OF/RHP John Carter Heikkinen (2025) and RHP/OF Garrett Venable (2025) who should be big pieces in their pitching staff this spring. The Wildcats also have some younger players in their program who have the possibility of making an impact at the varsity level this season. 3B/RHP Hunter Hancock (2026), 1B/RHP Jackson Nichols (2026), and SS Cohen Thompson (2026) are all sophomore names to follow, and hope to take over important role possibly during this spring.

After reaching the playoffs in Class 4A in 2023, the Wildcats certainly return enough talented pieces to this year's team to make another run at the playoffs. They'll compete in Area 15 against Arab, Douglas, and Guntersville for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Expect Scottsboro to be right back in the thick of it in their area with hopes of a deep playoff run in Class 4A in 2024.

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Find more information on the 2024 Scottsboro High School program below:

+ Follow them on X: @SHSBaseball4
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2024 HS Team Previews

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FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL ALABAMA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball Alabama on X
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Facebook

 

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