2025 Georgia Preview: Central Lions
January 23, 2025
The 2025 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 Georgia.
Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the GHSA or GIAA state playoffs, 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 Georgia. 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 GHSA classification and Power 25.
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 GHSA 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: Central Lions
Head Coach: Riley Presnell
Classification: GHSA Class 4A
Region: 3-4A
2024 Record (Finish): 14-16, First Round
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
Team Strengths: Returning a mass majority of our runs from last year - offense
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- 2025 Blake Culverhouse
- 2026 RHP Rhett Nelson
- 2026 LHP Austin Ayers
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
- 2027 OF Jake Ivester
- 2028 SS Asher Allen
- 2028 OF Grant Chaffin
- 2028 C Jacob Conaway
- 2028 SS/RHP Bradley Willingham
- 2028 RHP Trent Harrison
TEAM OUTLOOK
Coach Presnell has one of the strongest young cores coming through his system that could win a lot of games for years to come. He will lean on senior Blake Culverhouse to guide the underclassmen in 2025. Juniors Rhett Nelson and Austin Ayers will be the 1-2 punch on the mound. Outside of these upperclassmen there will be a cast of young bucks ready to make an impact at the next level. The oldest of the group will be outfielder Jake Ivester. Ivester is a dual sport athlete and will be versatile in the outfield and in the line up. Now Coach Presnell will rely on a cast of freshmen that have the chance to to be 4 year impact players. The first is outfielder Grant Chaffin, who was a junior future gamer over the summer. He is a 6.74 runner and left handed bat that has real feel for the barrel. Look for him to patrol the outfield with Ivester. Next is shirt stop Asher Allen, who will also look to get innings on the mound. Asher is a smooth defender in the field with the ability to switch hit at the plate. Bradley Willingham is another junior future gamer that has really added physicality to the frame since the summer. He will be able to contribute at the plate and on the mound as a strike throwing, low 80’s arm. The last 2 of the freshman will be Jacob Conaway and Trent Harrison. Conaway could end up splitting time behind the plate and Harrison could see some innings on the mound out of the pen.
Find more information on the 2025 program below:
+ Follow them on X: @CHSLionsBsball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Georgia, 2025 HS Team Previews
FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL GEORGIA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING
+ Prep Baseball Georgia on X
+ Prep Baseball Georgia on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Georgia on Facebook
Upcoming Events
SHOWCASE | DATE | LOCATION |
East Georgia Rising Stars ID (2029 and 2030 grads) | 2/1 | Infinite Vision Sports Academy - Flowery Branch, Ga |
LakePoint Rising Stars ID (2029 and 2030 grads) | 2/17 | LakePoint Sports |
Related Content
- GA 2025 Georgia Preview: North Springs Spartans 2/10/25
- GA East Georgia Rising Stars Preseason ID: Pitcher & Catcher Reports 2/09/25
- GA East Georgia Rising Stars Preseason ID: Outfielder Reports 2/09/25
- GA East Georgia Rising Stars Preseason ID: Infielder Reports 2/09/25
- GA 2025 Georgia Preview: Flowery Branch Falcons 2/09/25