The 2024 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 rankings 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 ranks in each AHSAA classification, as well updating our Power 25 overall rankings. One thing, especially, you don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state, as well as the recaps and previews of the big games we’re covering.

*Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state, based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason.

High School: Ashville Bulldogs
Head Coach: Colby Lange
Classification: AHSAA Class 4A
Area Number: Class 4A, Area 11
2023 Record (Finish): 14-7 (No Postseason)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 9
No. of Returning Pitchers: 7
Team Strengths: Returning Experience

 

---

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• SS/RHP Drew Layfield (2024; uncommitted)
• 3B/RHP Parker Cross (2024; uncommitted)
• INF/RHP Jaden Harris (2025; uncommitted)
• SS/RHP John Potter (2026)
• C/RHP Dylan Palmer (2026)
• 1B/RHP Justin Henderson (2027)
• OF/RHP Easton Layfield (2027)

---

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Ashville Bulldogs have an exciting amount of returning talent back on this year's roster after posting a winning record in 2023, but failed to make the playoffs. This spring, there's plenty of optimism inside the program with new leadership and some familiar faces expecting to once again lead the way for the Bulldogs this season.

Although Ashville finished with a 14-7 record in 2023, it still wasn't good enough for berth in the Class 4A playoffs finishing behind Oneonta and Hanceville in the area standings. This spring, the Bulldogs will look to right the ship with another winning season and finishing inside the top-2 in their area to reach the playoffs with numerous returners coming back. SS/RHP Drew Layfield (2024) should be the engine of this team, as he's one of the better hitters and pitchers on the roster. He will be the ace off the pitching staff and earned All-County and All-Area accolades during his junior season in 2023. 3B/RHP Parker Cross (2024) is another returning senior that will also play a two-way role for the Bulldogs. Cross is described as a great hitter and defender and will serve as their closer on the pitching staff. Another upperclassmen name to know for the Bulldogs this spring will be INF/RHP Jaden Harris (2025), who is one of the top athletes on this team. The junior has great speed and should be another key arm in their rotation, as well. SS/RHP John Potter (2026) and C/RHP Dylan Palmer (2026) are two more key returners to this year's team, as they also collected All-County and All-Area accolades last spring. Potter is another good athlete that will play a two-way role, while Palmer is a solid fundamental backstop with some power. 1B/RHP Justin Henderson (2027) and OF/RHP Easton Layfield (2027) are a pair of underclassmen that should see their roles continue to increase this season. Both are expected to provide valuable contributions both at the plate and on the mound this season.

With the Bulldogs returning nine positional starters and seven pitchers from last year's team, expectations continue to rise for this program as they look poised for a strong season. They'll compete in Area 11 against Oneonta, Good Hope, and Hanceville for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Ashville will once again look to replicate last year's winning season and reach the playoffs in Class 4A in 2024.

---

Find more information on the 2024 Ashville High School program below:

+ Follow them on X: @AshvilleBase
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2024 HS Team Previews

---

FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL ALABAMA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball Alabama on X
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Facebook

 

---

Related Content