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: Shelby County Wildcats
Head Coach: Cory Hamrick
Classification: AHSAA Class 5A
Area Number: Class 5A, Area 8
2024 Record (Finish): 24-10 (Eliminated in Sweet Sixteen)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4
Team Strengths: Chemistry, Culture, Mental Toughness, Belief

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• SS/RHP Colby Matherson (2025)
• RHP/1B Cooper Pennington (2026)
• C Davis Ruston (2026)
• INF Ethan Hall (2026)
• UTL/RHP Cale Blevins (2026)

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TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

• OF Presley Duke (2027)
• RHP Hunter Dailey (2028)
• OF/RHP Nate Byrne (2028)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Shelby County Wildcats have grown into one of the most consistent programs in Class 5A over the past few seasons and have been a mainstay in later rounds of the playoffs during that timespan. Coach Hamrick & co. are hoping this year's team can build off last year's Sweet 16 appearance with the help of some notable returners at the plate and on the mound in 2025.

The Wildcats are coming off a strong 2024 campaign that consistent of 24 total wins and another area championship. Over the last four seasons, Shelby County has claimed three area titles and have reach at least the Sweet 16 in all four years going back to the 2021 season. Hosting Rehobeth in the 1st round of the playoffs last spring, the Wildcats swept past them by scores of 5-3 and 14-1 to advance to another Sweet 16 series. They were, however, defeated by a super-talented Mobile Christian squad that finished as the runner-up in Class 5A. Expectation are high once again this sesaon as they look to continue their recent trend of success at the Class 5A level. They'll depend on some experienced upperclassmen who have shown the ability to produce at a high-level on varsity for the past couple of seasons. SS/RHP Colby Matherson (2025) is one of their top returning players who should play an important role on both sides of the ball. Other prospects like RHP/1B Cooper Pennington (2026), C Davis Ruston (2026), INF Ethan Hall (2026), and UTL Cale Blevins (2026) make up a strong core of juniors who looked ready to build off of solid sophomore campaigns, while OF Presley Duke (2027), RHP Hunter Dailey (2028), and OF/RHP Nate Byrne (2028) all have high potential and bright futures ahead of them and will look to compete for playing time this season.

Accumulating an impressive 24-11 record last season while playing some quality competiton, the Wildcats will look to replicate last year's success and hope to be one of the main contenders heading into the playoffs. They'll compete in Class 5A, Area 8 against Briarwood Christian, Central-Clay County, and Sylacauga for a spot in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Expect the Wildcats to once again be a highly-competitive club with talent on both sides of the ball in 2025.

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Find more information on the 2025 Shelby County program below:

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

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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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