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AL HS Team Preview: Sparkman Senators

February 10, 2023
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: Sparkman Senators

Coach’s Name: Jason Brewer 

Classification: AHSAA 7A 

2022 Record: 17-17

Area Number: Class 7A, Area 7 

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6 

No. of Returning Pitchers: 6 

Team Strengths: Pitching, Offense 

Top Returning Players:

Top 2023 Prospects:

Top 2024 Prospects:

Team Outlook

The Sparkman Senators once again return to Class 7A looking to continue their run of reaching the playoffs after finishing as the runner-up in their area last spring. This spring, it seems the Senators have enough talent returning both at the plate and on the mound to be a strong club in the state's largest classification.

The Senators may not have had the most flashy record a season ago due to playing a very tough schedule, but it seemed to pay off late in their season when they played their best baseball when it counted. They recorded some strong wins, however, in the regular season over programs like Hazel Green, Madison Academy, Athens, and others on their schedule. They finished as the runner-up in a tightly-contested area behind Huntsville, and were forced to travel to face off against Bob Jones, who was ranked inside the Top-10 in Class 7A for the whole season. The Patriots ultimately were able to defeat the Senators by scores of 9-0 and 3-1 to close out their season at 17-17. Using a solid amount of returners both at the plate and on the mound, the Senators will once again look for another strong season this year. They have some multi-year starters coming back that have been leaders inside their program over the past few years, but will look for some newer faces to step into larger roles and provide depth. 3B/RHP Ryan Strachan (Northwest Shoals CC signee, 2023) has already had an outstanding high school career for the Senators and comes back for his senior season as a starter for the fourth-consecutive year. The senior right-hander is a primary run-producer offensively and should be one of their key arms in their rotation, as well.

3B Ryan Strachan (3/19/22)

Two more multi-year starters that are expected to play big roles at the plate and on the mound are RHP/1B Carter Wells (Northeast Mississippi CC signee, 2023) and RHP/UTL Jacob Haley (South Alabama signee, 2023). Wells has thrown the most innings on the mound for the Senators over the past few years while also possessing pull-side power offensively, and Haley looks to be back to full-strength on the mound after missing last year's season on the bump. Both pitchers can work their fastball's into the upper-80's and will be key arms that should lead this pitching rotation.

RHP Carter Wells (5/15/22)
RHP Jacob Haley (6/1/21)

Three-year starter UTL Jack Buening (Calhoun CC signee, 2023) has delivered for the Senators in some big spots offensively over the past few years, and will once again look to help lead the charge in the heart of their order. From the right side, the senior has power to all fields and doesn't get cheated with any of his swings. INF Nick Causey (2023) is another top-of-the-order hitter returning to this year's roster. The senior right-hander will be a spark plug offensively while also serving as one of their leaders in the clubhouse.

UTL Jack Buening (4/4/22)
INF Nick Causey (4/4/22)

Sparkman will rely on a heavy group of upperclassmen to lead this year's team and are expecting on some of those players to step into larger roles this season in order for them to be successful. OF Chris Walker (Roane State CC signee, 2023) is an athletic outfielder that can "go get it" defensively and was ranked inside the Top-5 in OBP last season as a junior. RHP Ethan Clark (Calhoun CC signee, 2023) was their top arm out of the bullpen last spring using an upper-80's fastball with a plus changeup and will look to build off of last season's success. Another quality arm in their rotation will be LHP Cade Collins (2023) after seeing some time on the mound last spring. He will look to expand on last year's season using a low-to-mid-80's fastball and solid secondaries.

RHP Ethan Clark (6/21/22)

A pair of juniors that will look to once again play integral roles on this year's team after experiencing success a season ago are RHP/3B Ryan Everly (2024) and C Wyatt Shears (2024). Everly tossed the third-most amount of innings on last year's staff and features an mid-to-upper-80's fastball, while Shears earned a starting job last spring and handles all of the Senators' pitchers well behind the plate.

RHP Ryan Everly (3/19/22)

In addition to these upperclassmen mentioned above, the Senators will rely on some younger players that should provide depth at key positions both at the plate and on the mound. The Senators will once again compete in Area 7 against Huntsville, Grissom, and Albertville for a spot in the Class 7A playoffs at the end of the year. Sparkman should once again be a very talented club in the northern part of the state in Class 7A in 2023.

 

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Upcoming Events

SHOWCASE DATE LOCATION
Madison Rising Stars ID 5/28/23 Bob Jones HS (Madison, AL)
Top Prospect Games: Upperclass (Invite-Only) 6/13/23 Choccolocco Park (Oxford, AL)
Top Prospect Games: Underclass (Invite-Only) 6/14/23 Choccolocco Park (Oxford, AL)
Birmingham Open 6/21/23 Spain Park HS (Birmingham, AL)
Birmingham Rising Stars ID 6/21/23 Spain Park HS (Birmingham, AL)
Montgomery Open 6/28/23 Stanhope Elmore HS (Millbrook, AL)
All-State Games (Invite-Only) 7/11/23 Troy University (Troy, AL)
Mobile Rising Stars ID 7/18/23 TBD (Mobile, AL Area)
South Alabama Games (Invite-Only) 7/18/23 TBD (Mobile, AL Area)

 

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