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PBR OK OSSAA Team Previews: Piedmont Wildcats

January 27, 2023
Scott Hood
OK/MO/KS/ARK Assistant Scouting Director

The Oklahoma high school baseball season kicks off on Feb. 20th for A-B, and March 1st for 2A-6A. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2023 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown through the official PBR Oklahoma Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

We’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided as well as our own coverage on players in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

 

Team: Piedmont Wildcats
2022 Record: 32-9
Classification: 5A
Head Coach: Adam Skokowski
Years at the Helm: 8

OUTLOOK

Last year coach Skokowski's Wildcats squad had a strong run down the stretch that ultimately fell one game shy of winning the State Title.  With a deep returning roster of players that played large roles in their State Tournament run the Wildcats should have the high-end talent to be one of the top contenders in 5A in 2023.  The biggest question mark heading into the spring campaign is replacing their two top arms from last year that accounted for 113 innings.  The coaching staff feels good about the guys that will be stepping into those roles even without much Varsity experience and need them to grow up on the job quickly.  Offensively they return multiple guys that will be in their third year of starting for the program including two state tournament runs.  This type of inexperience is hard to replicate and it isn't just about the experience that makes them a very intriguing club.  They have multiple players with the type of high-end tools that can each carry the team with a strong offensive performance.  They boast some of the more projectable players for the next level and already have 5 committed seniors and a few underclassmen that will be worth taking a look at.  A State Tournament run in 2021 followed by an appearance in the State Championship game in 2022, this strong group of experienced veterans will look to take the one extra step and should be considered as a major contender for a Title in 2023.

 

IMPACT PLAYERS

Weston Thomas, 2024, OF/RHP

Thomas had a breakout sophomore campaign last year that saw him hit an impressive .450 clip while adding 21 stolen bases to the tally.  At 6-foot-5 and 210-pounds, Thomas has one of the more projectable frames and uses his longer limbs to his advantage at the plate from the left-side and should project for more power in the future as he continues to add strength.  Thomas also is one of the better defenders in the outfield in OK where he shows above average arm strength and with his speed can play all three spots.  The Wildcats will rely on Thomas to be a key cog in the middle of the lineup and will be a big part of the run-production with his power/speed combo.

 

 

Noah Smith, 2023, OF/3B, Cisco CC commit

Smith returns as a 4-year starter for the Wildcat program and will see him transition to a more prominent role in the outfield for 2023.  The 6-foot-3 and 200-pound right-handed hitter checks a lot of the tools boxes with hand strength, bat speed, and a sub 7 second 60.  Smith has the potential to be one of the top power/speed guys in the state with his tools and his 17 stolen bases he had in 2022.  The Cisco CC commit will be counted on to provide some thump in the lineup as well as giving the Wildcats a lot of positional versatility.

 

 

Cole Girard, 2023, INF/RHP, Seminole State JC commit

Preseason reports from Girard as that he's started to make a big jump on the mound with the velocity kicking up into the upper 80's and low 90's.  Last year he punched out more than one guy an inning in his 27 2/3 innings of work, working to a 3-0 record while picking up one save with a 3.54 ERA.   Girard has also has some offensive capabilities with a loose swing and the hand strength to generate exit velocities up to 92 mph with quick hands working through the zone.  The Wildcats will be counting on Girard's recent jumps in stuff to translate into a more prominent role on the staff and work even more important innings in 2023.

 

 

Jakeb Koop, 2023, RHP, NOC Tonkawa commit

Koop enters the year as the projected number one for the Wildcats staff after coming on late last year from injury to pitch in some of the biggest moments of the season.  None outing was bigger than his work in relief in the State Semifinals game where he came in with the team trailing 8-4 and worked 3 and 1/3 innings of shutout relief allowing the offense to come back and finish off the 10-8 victory.  With Koop healthy and ready to get going out of the gates in 2023, The NOC Tonkawa commit will be relied upon to carry the load as the leader of the staff and pitch in the important District games.

 

 

Logan Hill, 2023, INF, Seminole State JC commit

Hill returns as a three-year starter for the Wildcats and after an injury in the first round of the State Tournament in 2022, Hill is healthy and ready to compete right away in 23.  Hill finished the year with a .348 average and showed some extra base power along the way.  Hill will take a larger role in the middle of the lineup in 2023 and will be relied upon his experience to help lead the Wildcats to another run at a State Tournament.

Jackson Harriger, 2023, C, Kansas Wesleyan commit

Harriger is another 3-year returning starter to the lineup for the Wildcats and caught 85% of the innings in 2022.  Where Harriger's impact can be felt most is his ability to handle the running game where he threw out 15 of 35 would be base stealers which plays a large role in run prevention throughout the year.  Having a reliable backstop can make any high school program better and with Harriger's experience, he should be a big piece in not only the defensive side of the ball but also getting some of the younger arms up to speed in a more comfortable environment.

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Dalton Hampton, 2023, 1B

Jackson Califano, 2023, LHP

 

Make sure to follow @PBR_Oklahoma on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2023 season.

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