Alabama High School Team Preview: Guntersville Wildcats

The 2022 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 Montgomery 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: Guntersville Wildcats

Coach’s Name: Kenny Chaffin

Classification: AHSAA 5A 

Area Number: Area 14 

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7 

No. of Returning Pitchers: 4 

Team Strengths: Pitching experience, Experienced seniors

Top Returning Players:

• UTL/RHP Jackson Adcock (2022)
• 3B/RHP Chase Cornelius (2022)
• LHP Kade Wilson (2022)
• LHP Logan Pate (2022)
• 2B Sam Canady (2023)
• 1B Jack Chaffin (2023)
• OF Hunter Taylor (2023)
• RHP/INF Chase Pearce (2023)
• OF Duncan Morris (2024)

Top 2022 Prospects:

• RHP Luke Weaver (2022)

Top 2023 Prospects:

• C/RHP Cal Bearden (2023)
• OF Seth Matthews (2023)

Top 2024 & 2025 Prospects:

• RHP Carson Brown (2024)
• RHP Cam Gentle (2025)
• UTL Grady Whitaker (2025)
• 1B Cole Adkinson (2025)

Team Outlook

The Guntersville Wildcats come into the spring of 2022 with high aspirations of repeating as Area 14 Champions and hosting in the Class 5A State Playoffs like last year. The Wildcats enjoyed a solid spring last season, but unfortunately fell to the hands of Ardmore in the 1st round of the playoffs. Guntersville will rely on many three & four years starters for success this season.

The Wildcats obviously know what it takes to get to the Class 5A State Playoffs and host in the 1st round, but this year they will be more experienced and motivated to make a deeper run throughout the playoffs. As previously mentioned, there are a lot of returners from last year's team that come back with three and four years of experience under their belt. UTL/RHP Jackson Adcock is one of the top returning players who looks primed for a stellar senior season. Adcock is a four-year starter who has made quality strides physically and will be a real threat in the middle of the order. 3B/RHP Chase Cornelius & SS Logan Pate are also a pair of seniors who have both started on the varsity level since their eighth-grade year. Both of these players will play crucial roles in the lineup and look to lead this team in 2022. In the addition to Cornelius, LHP Kade Wilson is a senior who will be sure to log some key innings for the Wildcats. Wilson is a four-year starter in the rotation and is a crafty left-handed arm. C/OF Evan Taylor will look to have the same offensive output he had last year, as he led the Wildcats in hitting as a sophomore. Now a junior, Taylor will be another middle-of-the-order hitter returning in 2022. In addition to these few, some other players who saw significant playing time last spring are 2B Sam Canady, 1B Jack Chaffin, OF Hunter Taylor, RHP/INF Chase Pearce & OF Duncan Morris.

Guntersville has a lot of returning talent back on this roster for this spring, but like always, there are some other players who should step into bigger roles this spring. The Wildcats have a good mix of experienced upperclassmen and underclassmen who are eager to see the field in 2022. It should be another successful spring in 2022 for Guntersville.

Follow on Twitter: @PBR_Alabama
Follow on Instagram: @PBR_Alabama
Follow on TikTok: @PBR_Alabama

Related Content: