High school baseball preview: Hope abounds for local programs

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Sports

Spring sports are here, which typically bring with them ice and freezing temperatures in a cruel irony. The start of the 2026 high school baseball season was seasonal and pleasant, so there’s no telling what the month of March will bring as the season hits its stride.

Lions excited about season ahead

Year two under head coach Chris Heaps has brought a noticeable shift in belief at Briarwood.

After building culture and depth in his first season, Heaps’ team enters 2026 with a veteran core and a pitching staff he believes can keep the Lions in the Class 5A conversation.

“I think we’ve got a chance to make a really deep run, and we’re going to be in that conversation in Class 5A,” Heaps said.

Briarwood returns eight seniors, including a strong group of arms. Sophomore Ivan Hand is back after going 8-0 last season and earning all-state honors. Houston Hartsfield, a UAH signee, is throwing in the mid- to upper-80s. Senior Colin Lusk returns healthy after a postseason injury last spring, while Robbie Paulsen has seen a jump in velocity into the mid-80s and will factor heavily on the mound.

The Lions’ pitching depth also includes juniors Sam Lanier, Houston Lee and Brandt Aho.

Behind the plate, Parker Daniels, a West Alabama signee, returns as one of the team’s top hitters. Jamison Barnes will share catching duties, and Brooks Allred and Charles Dedmon provide senior leadership in the outfield.

Shortstop remains a competition between Parker Williamson, Lanier and Camden Schroeter.

Heaps said the culture is what excites him most.

“To get an uncommon result, you got to have an uncommon process,” Heaps said. “You can’t have it every once in a while. You got to be consistent with it.”

If that process continues, Briarwood believes it can take another step forward.

Hornets hoping to replicate last season’s strong finish

Chelsea enters the 2026 season with a mix of experienced arms and new faces around the diamond.

The Hornets are coming off one of the best runs in program history, coming within a game of their first state championship last spring. They graduated five seniors who occupied key positions, including third base, shortstop, center field, left field and catcher. Several of those seniors also contributed on the mound.

Still, head coach Michael Stallings feels confident about what returns.

“I think that’s going to be one of our strengths,” Stallings said of the pitching staff.

Senior Jackson Price returns after serving as one of Chelsea’s area starters last year. Grant Hill is back healthy after a midseason injury sidelined him. Silas Osbourn has matured on the mound, while seniors Brock Garrett and Luke Neill are expected to take on expanded roles.

In the field, Aiden Craven moves to center field and projects as a leadoff hitter. Jaxson Dohrman transitions to the outfield and will hit in the middle of the order. Brandon Bousman returns behind the plate.

Chelsea also expects contributions from younger players. Bryant Wisdom, who played second base in the playoffs as an eighth grader, moves to shortstop. Freshman Jackson Allison could help in the outfield and on the mound.

Stallings said the returning players understand the standard after a deep postseason run in 2025.

“We’ve got some guys that are hungry,” Stallings said. “They were there last year, and they want to get back there.”

Guy takes over as Eagles head coach

Oak Mountain begins a new era under head coach PJ Guy, who was hired in July and immediately focused on building relationships within the program.

“The first thing I really wanted to strive to do was to just get to know each individual in the program the best I could,” Guy said.

The Eagles return a mature roster with 13 seniors and a large junior class. Guy said the buy-in from the group has been strong.

“I really feel like our players are bought into our vision of what we want to take this program,” Guy said.

Senior Ben Heath will anchor third base and contribute as a relief pitcher. Senior catcher Sam Prier is expected to lead the pitching staff and hit in the middle of the lineup. Xander Hughes returns as a middle infielder and one of Oak Mountain’s top arms.

The pitching staff also features Baker Williams, a Gadsden State commit, and Branson Hogan, a senior transfer from Chelsea who has signed with Alabama. Guy believes Hogan has frontline potential.

Oak Mountain competes in one of the toughest areas in Class 7A, alongside Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville. Guy said the difference in those games often comes down to fundamentals.

“Sometimes the flash and the home runs and the guys throwing 90-plus miles per hour gets all the attention,” Guy said. “The simple little things that baseball requires for you to be successful — I think those are the most important things.”

Jags seeking improvement

Spain Park’s 2025 season featured growth and flashes of potential, and head coach Will Smith believes the Jaguars have enough experience back in 2026 to push toward the program’s standard.

“I think we’ve got a chance to be competitive,” Smith said.

Spain Park returns the bulk of a lineup that was built around underclassmen. The Jaguars finished last season with one freshman starter, five sophomores who started at times, two juniors and a senior. Smith made it clear that experience alone is not enough.

“We made sure that they heard the message that just because they came back didn’t make them better,” Smith said. “They had to put in work and put in time.”

The senior class includes nine players. Senior shortstop Rhys Jones, a UAB commit, and senior outfielder Joe Cross, a Snead State commit, return as positional anchors.

Catcher Evan Taylor is back after starting as a sophomore. Connor Greb, an Auburn commit, is expected to open at third base. In the outfield, Cross returns alongside Slade Bounds and Brodie Bragg.

On the mound, Spain Park does not have one pitcher expected to carry the load but will piece together innings, with Houston Holmes, Nathan Byrd, Hudson Franks and Caden Smith among those in the mix.

“The high school game, in my opinion, stays the same,” Smith said. “The teams that don’t beat themselves … those are the teams that are going to be around at the end.”

For Spain Park, the goal is simple.

“Just hit the ball back over the net,” Smith said. “And just don’t beat yourself.”