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Alabama HS Team Preview: Sparkman Senators

February 8, 2024
Austin Sharp
Alabama Scouting Director

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: Sparkman Senators
Head Coach: Ben Stevenson
Classification: AHSAA Class 7A
Area Number: Class 7A, Area 7
2023 Record (Finish): 26-15 (Eliminated in 1st Round)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 2
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4
Team Strengths: Pitching, Team Speed, Defense

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

C Wyatt Shears (7/7/20)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2025

  • C Tre Aguon (2025; uncommitted)
  • RHP/INF RJ Freiholtz (2025; uncommitted)
  • RHP/UTL Ryan Gross (2025; uncommitted)
  • OF Jayden Hammons (2025; uncommitted)

RHP/UTL Ryan Gross (6/6/23)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

LHP Brenner VanDeWynckel (1/4/24)

TEAM OUTLOOK

It was another strong year for the Sparkman Senators in 2023 eclipsing the 25-win mark and posting a 26-15 record with an appearance in the Class 7A playoffs. There's a lot of new for the Senators in 2024 with new head coach Ben Stevenson leading the helm and some newer players looking to fill the spots left by last year's graduating seniors, but they'll look to continue their trend of recent success over the past decade.

The Senators played well enough down the stretch to win their area and host the 1st round of the playoffs in Class 7A, but were dealt a tough draw right out of the gate with Vestavia Hills HS, the eventual Class 7A State Champions. While they gave them a tough three-game series, the Senators were ultimately defeated in the decisive Game 3 by score of 7-2 to close their season with a 26-15 record. Looking to avenge last season's 1st round exit, the Senators will be relying on a couple familiar faces, but will need some other players to step into larger roles this spring. C Wyatt Shears (West Virginia State, 2024) is a three-year starter at the varsity level and was a reliable bat in the middle of their order last year. The senior is expected to help carry the torch this season, as is SS Easton Henderson (2024), another senior returner who is one of the better athletes on the team. He's also a solid defender and was a staple in their lineup last year as a junior. RHP/INF Ryan Everly (Wallace-Hanceville CC, 2024) has plenty of varsity experience under his belt, and returns as one of their top arms in the rotation with an upper-80's fastball. He should continue to throw important innings for the Senators and be a leader for this program. Other upperclassmen to watch for this spring are C Tre Augon (2025), RHP/INF RJ Freiholtz (2025), RHP/UTL Ryan Gross (2025), and OF Jayden Hammons (2025). The Senators look to have a strong group of underclassmen in their program, and they'll need some of them to step up and produce at the varsity level. LHP/OF Brenner VanDeWynckel (2026) has worked hard in the off-season after getting some innings on varsity last spring, while RHP/OF Miguel Lang (2026) is another sophomore with exciting potential. C Will Peccia (2026) and INF Jaylon Davis (2026) are two more sophomores looking to find their way into the lineup, while RHP/INF Braxton Williams (2027) while possesses huge upside as a two-way player and is a top-5 prospect in the 2027 class in AL.

The Senators should once again be a competitive group this spring in the highest classification in Alabama with a few important pieces returning. They'll compete in Area 7 against Albertville, Grissom, and Huntsville for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Look for Sparkman to be right back in the thick of it in their area and knocking on the door of the playoffs in Class 7A in 2024.

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

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

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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