Alabama High School Team Preview: Oxford Yellow Jackets
January 19, 2021
The 2021 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. That excitement may be at an all-time high entering this high school season as the 2020 high school baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season during an offseason unlike any other and as always, 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.
If you haven't listened to Episode 4 of Around the State, CLICK HERE to listen to Head Coach Wes Brooks preview the 2021 season for the Yellow Jackets.
*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: Oxford High School
Classification: AHSAA 6A Area 13
Positional Starters Returning: 6
Pitchers Returning: 5
Team Strengths: Top 3 Arms were 87 or better at fall September tryouts, speed and power at plate
Team Weaknesses: Inexperience in corner outfield
Top Returning Players:
Outlook:
The Oxford Yellow Jackets have grown accustomed to success on the baseball field and 2021 has the makings to be much of the same. Although the Jackets will be looking to fill some corner outfield spots there are several returning arms that should make for a formidable rotation this season. Those corner outfield spots could go to a number of different people but there is no question who will be in centerfield. Senior Trey Higgins will man that spot. The switch hitter is uber athletic and has several "plus" skills. He can run, has a ton of arm strength and can hit for average and hit for power. The power is evident from both sides of the plate for the Mississippi State signee. Higgins has also had a very successful football career as quarterback for the Yellow Jackets. Senior RHP Trey Mooney is a Montevallo signee and is just one of the top flight arms at the top of the Jacket rotation. Mooney features a heavy fastball in the mid to upper 80's and can flash a solid breaking ball with late depth to compliment the quality fastball. Mooney shows clean mechanics and does a nice job using his strong lower half. Look for Mooney to be a factor at 3B this season as well. Another one of those leading arms for Oxford is another senior, RHP Nick Hamlin. The 2021 grad has clean, repeatable mechanics and uses a quick tempo delivery. Although he may not be as physical as Mooney they are very similar in terms of velocity and pitchability. Hamlin shows real quick arm action and the breaking is very tight with late slider type action. Junior RHP Wesley Miller will step into a more prominent role on the mound this season and is set for a big year. Miller has premium stuff but lives off a mid to upper 80's fastball. He does a nice job of staying down in the zone and is very effective when down in the zone. Miller will also see time at 1B as well. The Yellow Jackets have an embarrassment of riches at the middle infield positions as two high profile sophomores, Sam Robertson and Peyton Watts, return in 2021. Robertson brings so many tools to the field and has continued to improve, while showing serious speed and defensive actions. He also has a solid line drive approach at the plate and does a nice job of staying in the middle of the field. Watts is simply a baseball player that loves to compete. He has a high baseball IQ and plays the game the right way. There is some power to the pull side from the left side as he shows some tilt in the bat path. He will join the baseball Jackets after he is done on the hardwood for the Oxford basketball team. There are several others that will contribute but look for these 6 players to be major factors in 2021 for the Jackets.
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