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: Southside Panthers

Coach’s Name: Shane Chappell 

Classification: AHSAA 5A 

2022 Record: 12-18

Area Number: Class 5A, Area 12 

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5 

No. of Returning Pitchers: 2 

Team Strengths: Athleticism, Team Speed, Pitching Staff 

Top Returning Players:

• SS/RHP Dre'son Champagne (Northwest Shoals CC, 2023)
• OF/RHP Trey Frachisuer (2024)
• INF/RHP Kutter Johnson (2024)
• OF Tytan Rich (2024)
• UTL/RHP Cayden McMichael (2024)

Top 2024 Prospects:

• OF/RHP Mason Teague (2024)

Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects:

• UTL/RHP Corbin Driskell (2025)
• OF/RHP Dylan Rainey (2025)
• INF Angelo Alberghina (2025)
• INF/RHP Brayden Bowers (2025)
• 1B/LHP Mason Stephens (2025)

Team Outlook

The Southside Panthers look to begin the 2023 season with a hot start after missing out on the Class 6A playoffs in one of the toughest areas in the classification. The Panthers do slide down to Class 5A this year and are placed in a three-time area with Alexandria and Lincoln. They'll look to replicate the same type of success this year that they had in 2021 where they went 23-9, and seem to have the pieces to do so.

Although they missed out on the playoffs in 2022, the Panthers recorded some strong wins during the regular season against Mortimer Jordan, Sardis, Guntersville, Gadsden City and Scottsboro. Now in possibly a more favorable area in Class 5A, they'll look to reach the playoffs and see how far they can go at the end of the season. The Panthers do return a good amount of offensive production from last year's team, with more than half of the positional starters returning. SS/RHP Dre'son Champagne (Northwest Shoals CC signee, 2023) should headline that group of returners, as he'll play an integral role in their success. Champagne is a very athletic player with good instincts and speed hitting at the top of the order for Southside. In addition to his offensive duties, the senior right-hander will also be counted on as one of their top arm in the rotation. The Panthers also have a strong crop of returning juniors beginning with OF/RHP Trey Frachisuer (2024), who had a breakout sophomore campaign. The junior emerged as one of their top pitchers last spring, and is an elite competitor and leader with great speed. INF/RHP Kutter Johnson (2024) is another junior returning to the fold after valuable getting experience last year. Johnson will be another one of their top arms and can play multiple positions defensively. OF Tytan Rich (2024) should be one of the leaders of this team and is a tough competitor, while UTL/RHP Cayden McMichael (2024) is their most versatile player with the chance to see playing time almost every defensive position. OF/RHP Mason Teague (2024) is also a newcomer to keep an eye on, as he'll play outfield and look to provide some depth behind the plate.

The Panthers are also going to rely on some underclassmen to step into larger roles this season and build the foundation for the future of their program. UTL/RHP Corbin Driskell (2025) is a strong, physical player who saw time as a freshman last spring. He's got some pop hitting from the right side of the plate and will hit in the middle of the order this year.

‘25 C Corbin Driskell (@CorbinDriskell; @SouthsidePanth1) ambushes this inner-half fastball & sends a missile to LF for a single.

Physical 6-0, 200 frame, posted some low-90 EV’s during BP w/ a top at 92 mph.#ALTPGUnder22 pic.twitter.com/ksYyoU8dos

— PBR Alabama (@PBR_Alabama) June 22, 2022

UTL Corbin Driskell (6/22/22)

OF/RHP Dylan Rainey (2025) enjoyed a strong summer and off-season and will look for it to pay off this spring. The sophomore has the potential to be one of their top arms on the mound and has shown flashes of power at the plate. A few more that are sure to see playing time this spring will be INF Angelo Alberghina (2025), INF/RHP Brayden Bowers (2025) and 1B/LHP Mason Stephens (2025). In a new classification this spring, look for the Panthers to be a competitive ball club in Class 5A.

 

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