Prep Baseball Report

AL HS Team Preview: Lauderdale County Tigers


PBR Alabama Staff

The 2023 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 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 in each AHSAA classification as well as a Power 25. One thing that you especially don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state as well as recaps and previews of big games across the state.  

*Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.


High School Name: Lauderdale County Tigers 

Coach’s Name: Corey Looney 

Classification: AHSAA 3A 

2022 Record: 24-6

Area Number: Class 3A, Area 16 

No. of Returning Positional Starters:

No. of Returning Pitchers:

Team Strengths: Pitching Depth and Defense

Top Returning Players:

Top 2023 Prospects:

Top 2024 Prospects:

Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects:

  • LHP/1B Skylar Tucker (2025)
  • C Hudson Lash (2025)
  • RHP/3B Jackson Hamm (2025)
  • RHP/3B Maddox Weigart (2025)

Team Outlook

The Lauderdale County Tigers once again had another successful spring in 2022 and will look to continue to build off of that and make another deep playoff run this spring. The Tigers shouldn't have to replace many holes, as they return six positional starts and three pitchers from last year's team.

The Tigers accumulated an impressive number of wins with 24 in 2022 and made a solid run in the Class 3A playoffs, reaching the Elite 8. Of those 24 wins from last spring, the Tigers knocked off some quality teams in the regular season, including Mars Hill Bible, Elkmont, Brooks and others. They swept through all of their area series and and defeated Carbon Hill and Collinsville in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but were defeated by a tough Piedmont team that would end up finishing as the runner-up in the classification. The Tigers come back with high hopes this spring, and will be looking to have another deep run throughout the playoffs in 2023. SS/RHP Miles Edwards (2024) will be the engine that makes this team go, as he's been an everyday starter at shortstop ever since his freshman campaign. He returns to the top of the order in the lineup spot and will anchor the middle of the infield defensively, while also being one of their top pitchers on the mound.

SS/RHP Miles Edwards (4/23/22)

INF Brayden Brown (2023) and OF Seth Woods (2023) are a pair of seniors who are going to play vital roles this spring for the Tigers, as well. Brown enjoyed a strong junior season last year and hit just shy of the .400 mark in batting average, while Woods looks poised for a strong senior season. OF Micah Christensen (2024) is a junior that is a two-sport athlete for the Tigers that has worked really hard this off-season and is looking for it to pay off this spring. Christensen has tons of speed in the outfield and can cover tons of ground defensively. Lauderdale County will look to rely on some underclassmen once again to play bigger roles, but most of them got key playing time last spring. LHP/1B Skylar Tucker (2025) is a strong 6-foot-3, 190-pounder who will log some big innings once again for the Tigers after playing a big role last year as a freshman. He will also look to drive in runs in the middle of the order offensively, as well.

1B/LHP Skylar Tucker (4/22/22)

C Hudson Lash (2025) is another returning starter who experienced significant playing last year as a freshman, and is looking for an even stronger sophomore campaign. Lash handles the pitching staff very well and looks to be a key piece for the Tigers in 2023. RHP/3B Jackson Hamm will be a newcomer to the varsity level this spring, but is expected to make a big impact on this team's rotation using a low-80's fastball that has some deception to it, making it tough for hitters to pick up. Another sophomore to watch for this spring will be RHP/3B Maddox Weigart (2025), who logged quality innings last year as a freshman and will be expected to see his workload increase this spring. He should be a regular in the pitching rotation, as well. 

The Tigers will have plenty of depth and returning starters in 2023, while still having a fairly young roster. Pitching and defense should be a strength for this team, and will look to find some players to drive in runs in big spots offensively. They've shown they have the capability to be one of the last teams standing in Class 3A, and will look to make an even bigger push in 2023.

 

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