The 2023 Georgia high school baseball season is less than a month away. With the season getting pushed up one week the coaches and players have an extra week to prepare for opening day. Will it be sunny and 75? Or below freezing for opening day? The Georgia weather is unpredictable, just like trying to predict who will come out on top of each classification. The talent in the State of Georgia continues to be one of the best in the country. Some regions have a fresh new look, and some region foes will continue to battle for that top spot to earn the best road to the state championship.

We will begin to preview our Power 25 rankings each day until the season begins. Each week we will be releasing our players of the week, updating the Top 10 in each GHSA classification as well as a Power 25. Be sure to follow PBR Georgia on twitter for live action each week, as our staff travels throughout the state to cover baseball in the great state of Georgia.

High School Name: Pope

Coach’s Name: Chris Turco

Classification: Region 6A

2022 Record: 33-7

Region: 7-6A

No. of Returning Starters: 4

Team Strengths: Offense

Top Returning Players:

• SS Carson Kerce (Georgia Tech, 2023)

• 1B/3B Kent Scmidt (Georgia Southern, 2023)

• 2B Cooper Orr (2023)

• INF Jack Myers (Georgia Southern, 2024)

• LHP Blythe Keisler (Augusta, 2023)

Top 2024 Prospects:

• LHP Dawson Jones

• C/RHP Andrew Nelms

Top 2025 and 2026 Prospects:

• OF/RHP Ethan Garrett (2025)

• MIF/OF/RHP John Stuetzer (2025)

• OF Tanner Morneau (2025)

• C Drew Abney (2026)

Team Outlook

If 2022 taught the Georgia baseball industry anything, it was to never sleep on the Pope Greyhounds. Year by year regardless of roster, this is a State Championship contender. They showed a serious flare for the dramatic last spring, with handfuls of close wins vs region opponents and quality programs making them battle tested for the playoffs. But their playoff run was one of the most dominant in recent memory, sweeping all 5 series they played for a State Championship trophy! They did so with suffocating offense that jumped on you early in games, and pitchability. While they did lose both starting pitchers in their State Championship sweep, they have their biggest impact position players returning. This is led by ‘23 SS Carson Kerce and ‘24 INF Jack Myers

Carson Kerce SS / 2B / Pope, GA / 2023 Rankings  StateRank: 59 / POS: 8   #GT 23’ SS Carson Kerce(@Pope_Baseball) stays inside the ball here making contact deep on the plate for an RBI hustle double. Good swing mechanics & separation timing here. Does a bit of everything for the Greyhounds #GDC pic.twitter.com/rIOsXEbNfP — PBR Georgia (@PBRGeorgia) February 26, 2022

Jack Myers SS / RHP / Pope, GA / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 28 / POS: 9 OverallRank: 231 / POS: 55   ‘24 SS Jack Myers(@Pope_Baseball) he’s got a special approach coupled w/ elite pitch recognition, but those are only some of his offensive intangibles. Elite timing allows his bat to ball skills & advanced swing mechanics to show nearly every AB!! @ShooterHunt #PBRFG22 pic.twitter.com/bqM2vLSA9k — PBR Georgia (@PBRGeorgia) July 29, 2022

Kerce is the perfect team captain type who is one of the most versatile players in his class. He’s a plus runner with some wow instincts on the dirt, and the arm to match. The swing is dynamic with the ability to adjust to any pitch in any zone, and he’s nearly impossible to K. As far as baseball players go, there are few better in the state than Carson. Myers is one of the purest hitters in the state regardless of class, and has ice water running through his veins at all times. He laced the Allatoona pitching staff at Truist Park, with 5 hits in 2 games including a walk off run rule in game 1. It was the most memorable HS performance we saw in 2022. Myers’ added strength this offseason will only mean more power production, and there’s not a pitcher in the state who can beat him on a regular basis. Fellow GA Southern recruit ‘23 1B Kent Scmidt fits in perfectly behind Kerce & Myers in the lineup, and his approach is ideal for a consistent middle of the order bat. This is a left center to right center approach who uses an advanced inside-out swing for back spin doubles and consistent hard contact. You won’t see Schmidt getting himself out, and he’s an agonizing AB for any opposing pitcher. The new ace on the mound is unsurprisingly a high pitchability arm, ‘24 LHP Dawson Jones

Kent Schmidt 3B / Pope, GA / 2023 Rankings  StateRank: 100 / POS: 8   '23 1B/3B Kent Schmidt (@Pope_Baseball) consistently barreled baseballs today at #GAUCG. Here's a video of him lining out to center, and going backside for a double off the wall. He showed some power and good barrel control today at LP. pic.twitter.com/wvkDRA1xDa — PBR Georgia (@PBRGeorgia) June 16, 2021

Dawson Jones LHP / Pope, GA / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 207 / POS: 16

This is an unpredictable 4 pitch guy who can use all weapons in any count. His 83-86 FB shows deceptiveness and gets on you quick, and a SL/CH combo that mirrors each other to put you away. As we know, many new Greyhounds will step up and fill the void of what they lost. We wouldn’t be surprised at all for this to end up a top 5 team, or to see them back at Truist in May!

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN