2025 Ashville Bulldogs Team Preview
December 17, 2024
The 2025 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Alabama.
Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the Jacksonville/Oxford/Montgomery area at the AISA or AHSAA 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 across Alabama. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing our scheduled podcasts and releasing our preseason top-10 rankings in each AHSAA classification.
Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state.
Each week we will be releasing our Players of the Week, updating the top-10 ranks in each AHSAA classification, as well updating our Power 25 overall rankings. One thing, especially, you don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state, as well as the recaps and previews of the big games we’re covering.
*Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state, based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason.
High School: Ashville Bulldogs
Head Coach: Steven Nuss
Classification: AHSAA Class 4A
Area Number: Class 4A, Area 11
2023 Record (Finish): 19-15 (Eliminated in Sweet Sixteen)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: Team Defense
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- C Dylan Palmer (2026)
- INF/RHP Easton Layfield (2027)
- INF/RHP Jaden Harris (2025)
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
- 1B Justin Henderson (2027)
- OF Charley Hyde (2028)
TEAM OUTLOOK
The Ashville Bulldogs seemed to really turn the corner in 2024 with a strong season that featured an appearance in the 2nd round of the Class 4A playoffs. Using some key pieces back on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs will look to replicate last year's overall success and continue to build their momentum in 2025.
Accumulating an impressive 19-15 record last season, the Bulldogs went on to win their area and hosted their 1st round playoff matchup against West Limestone. In a tightly-contested series, Ashville was able to defeat West Limestone by scores of 6-5, 4-7, and 15-5 in Game 3 to advance to the 2nd round. They would, however, fall to the hands of a talented Deshler squad to close out their season. This year, the Bulldogs welcome in Steven Nuss as their new head coach and bring back five returning positional starters and three returning pitchers from a season ago. Of those returning five positional starters, none are bigger than C Dylan Palmer (2026), who posted impressive numbers as a sophomore last year and looks poised to have an even bigger year this season. The left-handed hitting backstop posted a .455 batting average with 54 R and 38 RBI. MIF/RHP Easton Layfield (2027) is another returning starter, albeit still being a sophomore, but has already shown the ability to perform at a high-level on varsity. As a freshman last spring, Layfield hit .378 with 50 R and 30 RBI. Another player to watch for this spring will be INF/RHP Jaden Harris (2025), who also posted some impressive numbers a season ago. Harris accumulated a .284 batting average during his junior campaign to go along 32 R and 23 RBI. 1B Justin Henderson (2027) is another younger player for the Bulldogs who has already produced offensively for the Bulldogs, as he brings back a .284 batting average and 38 RBI from last season as a freshman. OF Charley Hude (2028) should also see his role increase this spring after experiencing some success and a .458 on-base percentage in 2024.
The Bulldogs will look to continue their recent trend of success this spring and appear to bring back the offensive firepower to do so. They'll compete in Class 4A, Area 11 with Etowah, Hokes Bluff, Oneonta, and Westbrook Christian. It appears to be one of the tougher areas on paper in Class 4A, but the Bulldogs return a good amount of experience from last year's playoff team to help lead them to a successful 2025 campaign.
Find more information on the 2025 Ashville High School program below:
+ Follow them on X: @AshvilleBase
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2025 HS Team Previews
FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL ALABAMA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on X
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Facebook
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