2024 season in full swing

The official start of spring is not until later in March, but all of the high school spring sports have begun in Alabama.

The baseball and softball teams along the U.S. 280 corridor, like Spain Park, Briarwood, Chelsea and Oak Mountain, are off and rolling, with high hopes for the 2024 season.

Here’s a brief window into each of those teams and what to expect from them this season.

Offseason foundation propelling Jags softball

This season has the chance to be a special one for the Spain Park High School softball team.

Long regarded as one of the state’s top programs, the Jags will look to continue that tradition in 2024. Second-year head coach Allyson Ritenour believes the groundwork the team laid throughout the offseason will pay dividends on the field this spring.

“The offseason for us has been very productive,” Ritenour said. “We established a strong foundation and will continue to get stronger in all aspects of the game as the season progresses.”

The words Ritenour used to describe the Jags this year are competitive, hard-working, determined and focused.

“The upperclassmen have done an excellent job of leading their teammates this preseason, and I look forward to seeing everything this team will accomplish together,” she said.

Spain Park features five seniors this year in Maggie Daniel, Ella Ussery, Reagan Stewart, Caroline Charles and Ruth Cherry. Daniel has signed to play college ball at UCLA, while Ussery is headed to North Alabama.

“I expect all my seniors to be great leaders and teammates,” Ritenour said. “I want them to have fun this season, playing the game they love.”

Daniel is a respected leader for the Jags, having been a lineup regular for four years. She holds teammates accountable and understands the game at a high level, in addition to being a talented catcher.

Ussery is back in her element in the pitching circle, after expanding her horizons and playing volleyball in the fall. The talent is evident watching her pitch, but her coach also sees determination and toughness from one of her leaders.

Charles is a returning starter in the outfield, while Stewart has played several spots in her time at Spain Park. Cherry will be tasked with providing stability in the infield this season as well. Ritenour described all three as selfless in their various roles.

Charlee Bennett, Klara Thompson, Allie Whitaker and Teagan Huey are among the other lineup regulars back for another season. Ritenour also mentioned freshman pitcher Jaley Young, along with Tatum Lasseter and Hailey Nichols, among players who could step in and make an impact.

“This team has the potential to create an amazing story together as we continue to experience this season together,” Ritenour said.

Spain Park will certainly challenge itself with its regular season schedule, as everything leads up to Class 7A, Area 6 play against Oak Mountain, Chelsea and defending state champion Hewitt-Trussville.

Jags baseball team loaded with seniors

The margins are so close in Class 7A baseball in the Birmingham area that Spain Park High School can ill afford to rest on the success of winning Area 6 last spring.

Spain Park took home the area title and advanced to the second round of the state playoffs before falling to eventual state champion Vestavia Hills. The Jags posted a 28-9 record in what was a strong campaign.

If the Jaguars hope to achieve anything near that level again this spring, it will require everything to come together once more.

Head coach Will Smith believes this team certainly has the capability to achieve those things. The Jags feature a large senior class and a handful of players with key experience returning.

Second baseman James Battersby, shortstop Aiden Burke and outfielder Matthew Widra are back and provide comfort and stability for the Jags in the lineup and in the field. CJ Gross and Blake Patrick are also back, as both pitched plenty of key innings last year.

Battersby and Burke are also expected to contribute some innings on the mound. Widra was the team’s leading hitter and was second in many other categories. The Jags will rely on that group to lead the way, particularly early in the season, as they figure out the rest of the lineup.

There are 19 seniors on this team, the largest group of 12th graders Smith has ever seen come through his program. Typically, players gradually fall off along the way due to ability or other interests. But not for this group of players, many of whom will get their first opportunity to make a big impact on the varsity level.

Richard Moon, Sam Waldrop, Evan Bistritz, Jackson Bradley, Tyler Walker, Cooper Cole, Caelan Phillips, Jacob Byrd, Sean Corey, Lucas Harvey, Chapman Blevins, Coleman Gray, Connor Langston and Hudson Cahalan are also seniors.

Langston, Phillips, Corey and Cole are among the other pitchers who will be asked to contribute. Gray and Bistritz are battling for time at catcher. Blevins was a key player last year and will hit in the middle of the order. Byrd can play first base and outfield.

There are two sophomores and six juniors on the roster as well.

Smith believes in this team, but he acknowledges it will be a collective effort if the team is to duplicate last spring.

“We have to have quality at-bats throughout the order,” he said. “We’re going to need guys that have dirty uniforms, that win the small attention-to-detail stuff that gets us a run. Those are the things that we’re going to have to excel at in order to be successful.”

Lions softball ready to ‘put up a fight’

The Briarwood softball program is eager to put its best foot forward in 2024.

Head coach Ashley Segreto has enjoyed being around her team up to this point and believes they can have a positive season.

“The team has bought into the hard work in the offseason and preseason,” Segreto said. “They know what it takes to compete at this level.”

Segreto said the Lions’ pitching staff is as strong as she has seen it this spring, and she also loves what she has seen from seniors Meredith Kellum, Kate Atkinson and Anna Grace Hatfield.

“They are a dynamic group of leaders who all serve their team with grace. Meredith brings power, Kate brings speed and A.G. brings poise to our outfield group. The rest of the team looks up to them, and they are leaders on and off the field.”

Briarwood has added a middle school team to its program, and Segreto has been encouraged by the freshmen who will now begin contributing to the varsity team.

“They are hungry to learn and have boosted our strength on both the offensive and defensive side of the game,” she said.

Briarwood competes in Class 6A, Area 7, against Helena and Pelham. The Lions will drop back down to 5A next season.

“These girls want to leave 6A with a bang,” Segreto said. “We are in a difficult area, but they are ready to put up a fight.”

Lions baseball eager to grow throughout the season 

The Briarwood baseball team will be integrating several new faces into the lineup this season. It may take a little time for the Lions to figure things out, but head coach Steve Renfroe is confident in the potential of his team.

“I like my team,” he said. “We have a long way to go, but it’s a great, great bunch of kids. They just come to work, they want to learn, they want to get better. But we need time.”

Jake Souders, Jackson Barnes and Will Clark are the main returnees, as each started last season and will be asked to help lead the way for Briarwood this season.

The Lions will have several new players entering the fold this spring, particularly on the pitching mound. There are no returning pitchers with significant experience. But Renfroe is high on players like Seth Staggs and Brayden Robertson to become the next wave of big-time players.

Renfroe believes the growth this team will experience from February to May will be tremendous.

The Lions will face the likes of Hewitt-Trussville, Vestavia Hills, Oak Mountain and Spain Park and other challenging teams in the early-season slate. That will only help them as they prepare for area play against Pelham and McAdory.

“Great challenges, but great for our kids to go up against guys like that,” he said.

Hornets baseball attacking 7A challenge

The Chelsea baseball team had plenty of success last spring, even with a move up to Class 7A baseball. The Hornets won an area tiebreaker against Hewitt-Trussville to advance to the state playoffs.

They are dropping back to 6A beginning next year, but they would certainly like to make some noise once again in 7A.

“We knew what was in front of us, and we exceeded expectations a little bit,” Chelsea head coach Michael Stallings said. “It definitely gave us a lot of confidence coming into this season.”

The Hornets have a few guys back from last year’s team who provided plenty of production and experience. Pitcher Logan Moller led the team in innings and is a “big piece of the puzzle,” according to Stallings.

There are also three juniors — third baseman Paxton Stallings, outfielder Aiden Hughes and catcher Cade Mims — who have a year’s worth of experience under their belts. Pitcher Grant Hill and outfielder Aiden Craven got their feet wet as sophomores last spring as well.

“We’ve got a talented group of baseball players,” Michael Stallings said. “It’s not a very big group relative to some of the teams we’ve had in the past, but we’ve got a lot of good pieces and I’m excited about that.”

Chelsea competes in 7A, Area 6 with Oak Mountain, Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park.

Hornets softball embracing new coach

Scott Lowery put together a track record of success as the softball coach at Helena and will now look to do the same as he begins his tenure at Chelsea.

In the offseason, preseason and early days of the actual season, Lowery has emphasized mindset and culture. The Hornets began playing while a handful of teammates were still competing with the basketball team, but the foundation has been set.

“Take ownership and attack problems, don’t make excuses,” Lowery said.

Makenna Harper, Claire Purkey, Samantha Sutton, Baylor McCluney and Madeline Epperson are the Hornets’ seniors. 

“They are great people first and foremost,” Lowery said. “They are also talented softball players that practice with high energy and effort.”

McCluney and Epperson are players known for their competitiveness. Harper is a catcher who has continued to improve, while Sutton is someone who appears ready to step into a key role in the outfield. Purkey is a corner infielder who can pitch as well and has a penchant for producing in big moments. 

Junior Sydney Carroll is another player the Hornets will rely heavily on, as she is a strong hitter and powerful pitcher. Katie Hopson, Caroline Brown, Emma Parmley and Alaysha Crews are a few other players Lowery expects to bolster the team.

Chelsea has the tall task of competing in Class 7A, Area 6, with Oak Mountain, Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park. But that won’t be an excuse for the Hornets.

“Don’t worry about outside things we cannot control,” Lowery said. “We do that and buy in, the sky is the limit.”

Eagles softball knocking on door

The Oak Mountain softball team is in what is possibly the toughest area in the state, facing Hewitt-Trussville, Spain Park and Chelsea on a consistent basis in Class 7A, Area 6.

But that isn’t stopping the Eagles from attempting to raise the bar this spring. Oak Mountain’s roster features more pitching depth than it has in a few years, in addition to quality senior players who can be counted on consistently.

Emma Hawkins, Carolyn Graham, Alea Rye and Jenna Burson are the team’s seniors, with Hawkins signed to play at Montevallo and Rye set to play college ball at Central Alabama Community College.

“We expect this group to have an explosive year,” Oak Mountain head coach Jordan Burson said. “They have tons of varsity experience between the four of them, and we expect them to be the catalysts that spark us offensively and defensively.”

There are several other players Burson mentioned as potential breakout players. Twins Sophia and Bella Williams each bring a different dimension to the lineup in terms of speed, athleticism and knowledge of the game.

Sophomore Sheridan Andrews showed flashes of what she is capable of last spring and will get a chance to take hold of the shortstop position this year. Junior Anna DuBose gives the Eagles stability at the catcher spot and pop in the middle of the batting order.

The pitching staff is young but much improved, and Burson believes with experience, that trend will only continue. 

“The pitching staff is going to keep us in big games and give us a chance to make some noise in 7A,” he said. 

Eagles baseball leaning on experience

The Oak Mountain baseball team has its sights set on returning to the Class 7A playoffs in 2024. If the Eagles are to do that, it will take the leadership of the senior class both on and off the field.

“We have several seniors that played big roles as juniors, so we are expecting them to continue in those roles on the field and grow as leaders as well,” Oak Mountain head coach Derek Irons said.

Nick McCord at pitcher and shortstop and Peyton Parkinson at catcher are seniors who are back as critical players for the Eagles. Kaleb Hester, Bryson Morman and Reed Hartsfield are new to the Oak Mountain program but have plenty of varsity experience and will be key.

Kevin Jasinski, Josh Hart and Alex Harrison will have big roles as well, as Jasinski joins the team following a successful basketball campaign. Hart and Harrison are consistent outfielders who bring stability to the lineup. Brady Saville and Erik Oxford will be part of the pitching depth, while Matthew Senter is a quality infielder.

Junior Owen Edwards got some playing time at the end of last season, and he is a player on the rise. Brooks Braswell and Noah Eady are off to strong starts as well. 

Irons said the Eagles are focusing on becoming a “brotherhood” this spring. If they achieve that goal, look out for Oak Mountain.

“I think if that happens, we will forge some really great friendships, moments and have a lot of success on the field,” Irons said.