Prep Baseball Report

AL HS Team Preview: Pleasant Grove Spartans


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: Pleasant Grove Spartans

Coach’s Name: Craig Lehman 

Classification: AHSAA 5A 

2022 Record: 9-11

Area Number: Class 5A, Area 9  

Team Strengths: Team Speed, Catching Position

Top Returning Players:

  • C Andre Watts (2024) 

Team Outlook

Pleasant Grove enters the 2023 season looking to make it back to the Class 5A playoffs after edging out Fairfield and Wenonah in their area standings last spring. They were then faced with a difficult task of traveling to Russellville, the eventual 5A State Champs, and were eliminated in two games to close their season. Returning to the same area John Carroll Catholic, Fairfield and Wenonah, the Spartans will look to reach the Class 5A playoffs once again this year.

The Spartans also have a new head coach this spring, as the Craig Lehman takes over the reigns over the program. The Spartans should be an athletic team this year with some returners coming back from last year's squad. C Andre Watts (2024) is a strong backstop standing 5-foot-11, 240-pounds and should be one their top hitters this spring. On the mound, the Spartans will have to find some depth on the mound, but have a few players coming back that will pitch some significant innings.

Pleasant Grove should once again have a strong chance of making it back to the playoffs this spring. The Spartans have continued to improve year-after-year, and first-year head coach Coach Lehman will look to continue that upward trajectory for their program with a successful season in 2023.

 

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Upcoming Events

SHOWCASE DATE LOCATION
Huntsville Preseason ID 1/3/23 Clutch Performance (Huntsville, AL) 
Birmingham Preseason ID 1/4/23 GeauxPlay Sports (Pelham, AL)
North Alabama Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) 1/7/23 Hartselle HS Indoor (Hartselle, AL)
South Alabama Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) 1/8/23 Saraland HS (Saraland, AL)

 

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