Alabama High School Team Preview: Sulligent Blue Devils
February 4, 2022
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: Sulligent Blue Devils
Coach’s Name: Michael Nanney
Classification: AHSAA 2A
Area Number: Area 10
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4
Team Strengths: Experiences, Hitting, Pitching
Top Returning Players:
- SS/RHP Dees Price (2022)
- 3B Garrett Lovelady (2022)
- OF Noah Wheeler (2022)
- OF/2B Tayler Bircheat (2022)
- OF/LHP Gavin Box (2023)
- C/SS Bryar Dove (2023)
Top 2024 & 2025 Prospects:
- SS/RHP Hunter Wood (2024)
- 2B/C Brody Clark (2024)
- 2B Kenyon Taylor (2024)
Team Outlook
The Sulligent Blue Devils enter the spring of 2022 with high hopes of reaching the Class 2A State Playoffs after a successful season in 2021. The Blue Devils finished as the winner of Area 10 last spring, but was unfortunately eliminated by Spring Garden in a hard-fought three game series in the 1st round. Sulligent should rely on some experienced players to lead the way in 2022.
Of those mentioned returners for the Blue Devils, many of those are seniors and juniors who have gained valuable experience over the course of their respective high school careers. SS/RHP Dees Price is one of those seniors who was one of the leaders both at the plate and on the mound for last year's team. Price hit well over the .350 mark and was a run-producer in the heart of the order. 3B Garrett Lovelady also enjoyed a solid junior season last spring, and he should continue to pace the Blue Devils' order in 2022. OF Noah Wheeler is another senior who is a valuable piece coming back that hit over the .300 mark as a junior. Some other returning names to watch this spring for Sulligent will be OF Tayler Bircheat, OF/LHP Gavin Box & C/SS Bryar Dove, all of which saw significant playing time in 2021.
In addition to these aforementioned upperclassmen, there will also be some younger players who are eager to get on the playing field and make an impact for the Blue Devils. Some of these underclassmen are SS/RHP Hunter Wood, 2B/C Brody Clark & 2B Kenyon Taylor. Sulligent should be a really competitive club yet again in 2022.
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