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The 2021 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. That excitement may be at an all-time high entering this high school season as the 2020 high school baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season during an offseason unlike any other and as always, there are some very talented players and teams across Tennessee.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Murfreesboro at the TSSAA Spring Fling 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. 

We start diving into the Preseason Power 25 Rankings, highlighting some of the deepest clubs across the state. Although we could have done 40+ clubs with so many talented teams getting tuned up for the 2021 season, we can only rank 25 and this list will continue to change as the season plays out on the field.  There will be teams not on the list that will be battling for a state championship come late May, so take it for what it's worth, as no championships have ever been won on paper.  

 *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: Pigeon Forge High School

Coach: Mike Guinn

Classification: TSSAA AA-District 3

Team Strengths: Frontline pitching with Tennessee Commit Dylan Loy, state tournament/postseason  experience. 

Team Weaknesses: Tigers lost power bat C/3B Logan Harbin (Walters State), so new backstop plus missed playing time from 2020 season. 

 

 Top Returning Players:

2021 OF Logan Johnson (Kennesaw St Commit)

2023 LHP Dylan Loy (Tennessee Commit)

2022 RHP/1B Riley Franklin

2022 CINF Graham Johnson

  

Outlook: 

The Tigers (@pftigersbaseball) have only dropped a handful of regular season district games in the past ten years while making four state appearances in that span (2012, 2013, 2017, 2019), including a AA state title in 2013.  A staple of consistency in the mountains of East TN, turning out 25+ win seasons and always a difficult team to take down in the post season.  The headliner is '23 southpaw Dylan Loy (Tennessee commit) featuring an upper 80s FB and devastating SL from the left side with advanced pitchability, which will wreck havoc on opposing lineups.  Sr. outfielder Logan Johnson (Kennesaw St. commit) is a difference maker with electric bat speed from the left side and will be an anchor for the defense in CF.  Johnson is well rounded as he can really run and shows great arm strength, so can expect him to be an impact player at any time.  After a strong summer with Knoxville Stars, '22 RHP/1B Riley Franklin should tail Loy on the mound as a capable arm in the mid 80s and provide some juice in the middle of the Tigers' batting lineup.  '22 CINF Graham Johnson has shown some upside and should be a solid contributor this season.  

 

Best of luck this season!

 

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