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Alabama HS Team Preview: Chelsea Hornets

February 11, 2024
Austin Sharp
Alabama Scouting Director

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: Chelsea Hornets
Head Coach: Michael Stallings
Classification: AHSAA Class 7A
Area Number: Class 7A, Area 6
2023 Record (Finish): 20-20 (Eliminated in 1st Round)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4
No. of Returning Pitchers: 5
Team Strengths: Pitching Depth

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

RHP Logan Moller (5/31/23)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2024

OF Anderson Brooks (5/31/22)

Class of 2025

LHP Payton Hunsaker (1/6/24)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

RHP/INF Branson Hogan (9/18/23)

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Chelsea Hornets proved they more than belonged in Class 7A during the first season in the classification in 2023, as they continued to their streak of reaching the playoffs with an appearance in the 1st round. While there are some newer faces on this year's roster, the Hornets look to be shaping up for another strong season in 2024.

The Hornets moved up to Class 7A last season and were slotted in one of the toughest areas in the state, regardless of classiciation, with Spain Park, Hewitt-Trussville, and Oak Mountain. They looked to start playing their best baseball down the stretch, and while they didn't have the flashiest record sitting around .500, the finished as the runner-up in that area and traveled on the road to Bob Jones in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Patriots had been one of the hottest teams in Class 7A, and while the Hornets gave them a difficult series pushing it to three games, they were eliminated and closed their season with a 20-20 record. This year, they return four positional starters and five pitchers and will look to be playing well once area play rolls around. RHP Logan Moller (Tennessee Tech, 2024) returns to the pitching staff as the ace, featuring an upper-80's fastball and plenty of experience under his belt after throwing some important innings as a junior a season ago. Offensively, players like INF/RHP Paxton Stallings (2025), OF/LHP Aiden Hughes (2025), C/RHP Cade Mims (2025), and OF/LHP Aiden Craven (2026) return to the lineup after playing big roles last spring and will look to lead the way this spring. RHP Grant Hill (2026) is a top-10 prospect in the sophomore class in AL, and has a chance to throw some big innings on the mound, while LHP Payton Hunsaker (2025) and RHP/INF Branson Hogan (2026) are two more talented arms who should play vital roles this spring. OF Anderson Brooks (2024), INF/RHP Chase Lackey (2025), OF Mack Breazeale (2025), and INF/RHP Jackson Price (2026) are a few more pieces who are expected to see their roles increase this spring, and have the talent to make a sizable impact at the varsity level.

Competing in one of the more difficult area in the state, the Hornets, who have the talent, will need to be playing their best baseball down the stretch to reach the Class 7A playoffs for the second consecutive season. They'll compete in Area 6 against Hewitt-Trussville, Spain Park, and Oak Mountain for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Chelsea will once again be a team to watch in Class 7A in 2024.

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

+ Follow them on X: @CHSHornetBBall
+ 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

 

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