Prep Baseball Report

2025 Hackleburg Panthers 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: Hackleburg Panthers
Head Coach: Jon McKinney
Classification: AHSAA Class 1A
Area Number: Class 1A, Area 13
2023 Record (Finish): 24-9 (Eliminated in Elite Eight)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4
Team Strengths: Experience, Pitching, Defense

 


TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

  • RHP/SS Blaise Vickery (2025)
  • RHP/OF JaQuan Reeder (2025)
  • C Edge Weeks (2025)
  • RHP/INF Ross Hudson (2026)
C Edge Weeks (5/28/24)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

  • RHP/INF Maddox Vickery (2027)
  • RHP/INF Kross Weeks (2027)

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Hackleburg Panthers have grown into one of the more consistent programs in Class 1A in Alabama over the past few seasons, as they've collected at least 20 wins in each of the last four seasons. They were ranked inside the top-5 for the majority of the season last spring and made a run throughout the playoffs before being eliminated in the Elite 8, and come back this season looking to advance even further and potentially be one of the main contenders for the Class 1A State Championship. There's still tons of baseball to the played during the season, but the Panthers appear to once again be one of the top threats this spring in Class 1A.

Hackleburg really seemed to hit their stride down the stretch in 2024 after losing some games early in the spring to some higher classication programs. They breezed through their area with relative ease to claim yet another area championship, and appeared to be one of the top teams to watch for in Class 1A once the playoffs began. Sweeping both Talladega County Central and Lynn in their first two playoff series without giving up a single run, the stage was set for a heavyweight Elite 8 matchup between Hackleburg and Sumiton Christian, who was equally as talented as the Panthers. Sumiton Christian was able to defeat the Panthers in that series, however, winning Game 1 by score of 4-3 in 12 innings and Game 2 by score of 13-3 and would go on to win the Class 1A State Championship. It was a tough draw for the Panthers in the Elite 8, but they'll be looking to kick down the door in 2025 and be the ones hoisting the Blue Map at the end of the season. With seven positional starters and four pitchers returning, there's plenty to be excited about for the Panthers this spring, as well. RHP/SS Blaise Vickery (2025) returns for his senior season as one of the main leaders for this team being a three-time All-State selection. Making an impact on both sides of the ball, Vickery brings back an 8-2 record with 4 SVs and a 1.66 ERA on the mound last season as a junior. Offensively, he also hit .346 in batting average with 8 2Bs and 3 HRs. RHP/OF JaQuan Reeder (2025) is another talented senior returner who can make an impact in a variety of ways. A two-time All-State selection, Reeder posted a .352 batting average with 26 SBs in 2024 and is a main piece for the Panthers' offense. Handling the pitching staff, C Edge Weeks (2025) brings back tons of experience as a four-year starter and is looking to go out with a bang in his senior campaign. As a junior last season, the backstop posted a .337 batting average with 3 HRs. Another key upperclassmen returning to the fold will be RHP/INF Ross Hudson (2026), who will play an important role at the plate and on the mound once again this season. Hudson has also earned All-State honors in the past and hit .333 in batting average with 5 2Bs and 37 Rs. On the mound, he compiled a miniscule 1.01 ERA and went 4-3. Looking at a couple underclassmen looking to step into important roles for the Panthers, RHP/INF Maddox Vickery (2027) and RHP/INF Kross Weeks (2027) are a pair of sophomores who look capable of making an impact at the varsity level for the Panthers this season. 

Overall team experience appears to be a main strength for Hackleburg this year with many important pieces returning on both sides of the ball this spring, especially at the plate. They'll compete in Class 1A, Area 13 against Lynn, Phillips, and Vina for a spot in the Class 1A playoffs at the end of the regular season. Expect Hackleburg to once again be one of the main contenders at the end of the season in Class 1A in 2025.


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

+ Follow them on X: @Hack_Baseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2025 HS Team Previews


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