Prep Baseball Report

2025 Brantley Bulldogs Team Preview


Austin Sharp
Alabama Scouting Director

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: Brantley Bulldogs
Head Coach: Austin Brook
Classification: AHSAA 1A
Area Number: Class 1A, Area 3
2023 Record (Finish): 19-7 (Eliminated in Elite Eight)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 6
Team Strengths: Pitching, Defense

 


TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

  • RHP/SS Jayden Parks (2025)
  • RHP/3B Cooper Layton (2025)
  • RHP/1B Jon Harper Kilcrease (2025)
  • INF/RHP Chaz Branum (2026)
  • UTL/RHP Kevin Freeman (2028)
  • C Tyler Carter (2025)

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Brantley Bulldogs are coming off a 2024 campaign where they once again reached the later rounds of the Class 1A playoffs, which is a place they've found themselves in at the end of the regular season more often than not. Considered one of the top and most consistent programs in Class 1A, you can always seem to count on the Bulldogs to stack together impressive wins throughout the season and be one of the final teams standing in the playoffs. With one state championship in their history in 2009, the Bulldogs are looking to hoist the Class 1A Blue Map this season and appear to have the roster to do so.

Heading into the playoffs with a 15-5 record and an area championship in 2024, the Bulldogs swept their first two playoff series over Berry and University Charter and outscored those opponents 32-10 in the process. Carrying plenty of momentum into the Elite 8, the Bulldogs matched up against Florala, the top-ranked team in Class 1A for most of the season. Going on the road, Florala was able to eliminate Brantley by scores of 6-2 and 2-0 to close out their season with a 19-7 record. Expectations appear to be high once again this spring, as they bring back seven positional starters and six returning pitchers from last year's quarterfinals squad. Pitching and defense should their two main strengths, which are two components usually made up of championship-caliber clubs. Leading it off, RHP/SS Jayden Parks (2025) is a two-time All-State member and leads the way both at the plate and on the mound for the Bulldogs. One of the main leaders for this year's team, Parks posted a .409 batting average at the plate and compiled a 1.10 ERA on the mound in 2024. RHP/3B Cooper Layton (2025) is another high-level returning senior who plays a crucial two-way role for the Bulldogs. Another two-time All-State member, Layton hit .380 in batting average with 2 HRs in the 2024, and also tossed some crucial innings on the mound en route to a 1.90 ERA as a junior. Another key returning senior this spring will be Jon Harper Kilcrease (2025), who is another two-way star for Brantley. Kilcrease, who earned All-State honors, enjoyed a breakout junior campaign in 2024 where he hit .405 and posted a 2.40 ERA on the mound. Look for this trio of seniors to be crucial pieces for the Bulldogs once again this spring. INF/RHP Chaz Branum (2026) and C Tyler Carter (2025) are two more upperclassmen who are talented and should play important roles this spring, while UTL/RHP Kevin Freeman (2028) enter his freshman season looking to build off of last season's success where he hit .406 as an eighth-grader.

Looking at all the returners to this year's team, the Bulldogs look primed to once again be one of the main contenders in the Class 1A in 2025. Pitching and defense should lead the way for them this spring, but they also appear to have the ability to generate plenty of runs on the offensive side of the ball. They'll compete in Class 1A, Area 3 against Georgiana, McKenzie, Red Level, and Elba for a spot in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. With the help of some key returners, Brantley appears to be shaping up to have another strong spring in 2025.


Find more information on the 2025 Brantley High School program below:

+ Follow them on X: N/A
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2025 HS Team Previews


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