Prep Baseball Report

MS Preseason Power25: 6-10


Ronald Sims
Mississippi Scouting Director

MISSISSIPPI, USA - Today, we are proud to bring you the Mississippi Power 25 Top 10 Preseason High School Teams. The talent in this state solid from top to bottom, and this ranking represents our vast, year round, boots on the ground scouting all over Mississippi. Our goal is to bring you the most comprehensive list of the top teams in the state, no matter the size of the school, roster, or level. Today we take a look at 6-10 with the release of the top 5 teams tomorrow.

6. Madison Central

2018 Record: 25-7
MHSAA Classification: 6A
MHSAA District:
Head Coach: Patrick Robey
Playoff Run:
2018 Final Rank:
Returning Starters: 3
Returning Pitchers: 3

Coach Patrick Robey and the Jaguars return a balanced roster from a team that won 25 games a season ago. Brooks Rice, Wyatt Blalock and Jacob Payne will headline the pitching staff. Rice a Louisian State recruit, returns after seeing a lot of action as a sophomore on a senior heavy lineup. Blalock finished 2018 with a record of 3-0 while Payne has shown quality arm strength running his fastball into the upper 80's.

Offensively the Jaguars return their most productive hitter from a season ago in Murray Hutchinson who finished the season with a .435 batting average while driving in 22 runs. Peyton Rea and Parker Nelson will also play a significant role in the lineup coming off a productive 2018 campaign where they posted a .379 and .315 average respectively.

Although Coach Robey and the Jaguars lost alot of senior talent from a season ago, they will definetly have some underclassmen step up and feel those roles.

7. Lewisburg

Head Coach: Rusty Cagle

2018 Record: 26-9
MHSAA Classification: 5A
MHSAA District: 1-5A
Playoff Run: 5A State Runner Up
2018 Final Rank: 1st
Returning Starters: 4
Returning Pitchers: 3

Coach Rusty Cagle has high expectations for this group after a 26-9 2018 campaign. With several talented players on the roster, the Patriots are poised to make a deep run in 2019. Providing leadership to the talented roster will be unsigned senior Landon Rogers who hit .391 in his junior campaign. Dylan Bond (East Central CC signee) and Luke Treadway will provide strong defensive play on the infield, while Jack Eldred will be a big run producer for this years lineup hitting in the top of the order.

Headlining the staff on the mound will be senior Weston Fuller  who is returning off a junior campaign where he saw over 30 innings . Brayden Sanders (Mississippi recruit) and Brady Tygart (Arkansas recruit) are both intriguing underclassmen as they have showcased fastballs in the upper 80's. Jake Savage should solidify the pitching rotation and see a lot of action on the backend of games.

All-in-all the depth of the pitching rotation in combination with young talent and senior leadership should put the Patriots and Coach Cagle in a great position to make a deep run in 2019.

8. West Lauderdale

2018 Record: 25-5
MHSAA Classification: 4A
MHSAA District:
Head Coach: Jason Smith
Playoff Run:
2018 Final Rank:
Returning Starters: 3
Returning Pitchers: 3

The West Lauderdale Knights have their eyes set on another strong season in 2019, as the enter the season under new leadership. Coach Jason Smith will enter his first season inheriting a team that went 25-5 a season ago. Headlining the pitching staff will be 2019 Southern Mississippi recruit, Ben Ethridge and Jones County JC signee, Kameron Partridge. Ethridge is a right-hander who saw a ton of action throwing 59 innings his junior season, pitching in the mid to upper 80’s with his fastball. Partridge is another mid to upper 80's right-handed arm that impressed in 2018, logging 108 strike outs in 62 inning pitched. Also, look for Mason Willis to have a more impactful role this season on the mound.

Look for juniors Brett Mason and Braden Luke to lead the charge at the plate as both return from productive sophomore seasons where they hit .371 and .322 respectively.

With the culture of the program and fundamental defensive play as well as talented players spanning across all three classes, the Knights should be able to make Coach Smith's first season as skipper one to remeber.

9. Gulfport

Head Coach: Jamie McMahon

2018 Record: 25-6
MHSAA Classification: 6A
MHSAA District: 8-6A
Playoff Run: South State Championship
2018 Final Rank: 1st in District
Returning Starters: 5
Returning Pitchers: 3

After losing only 6 games a season ago and playing in the south state championship game, Coach Jamie McMahon and the Admirals are primed to make some noise in 2018 as they return a solid mix of senior leadership. Returning five starters and three pitchers, the Admirals will need several young players to come in and have a big role. Providing the leadership on the mound will be Beckett White who is coming off a productive 2018 season where his opponents only hit .211 off of him. Breck Jones will be expected to have an increased role this season as he logged only 20 innings in 2018. Juniors Lake Carmichael and Jerod Williams will also play a big part in this years lineup.

The experience the Admirals gained last year, and a solid group of young talent should go a long way  for Coach McMahon in making for an interesting 2019 season.

10. Germantown

Head Coach: Brian Hardy

2018 Record: 23-9
MHSAA Classification: 5A
MHSAA District: 4-5A
Playoff Run: 3rd Round
2018 Final Rank: 1st in District
Returning Starters: 5
Returning Pitchers: 4

Germantown returns a  talented group from a team that finished with 23 wins last season. But the Mavericks will need to do more than just win their district if they want to make their mark in 2019.

The lineup is strong for the Mavericks, headlined by two-way player, Pearl River signee Eric Newsom. Newsom has an athletic, lean frame at 6-foot-4 and the left-handed hitter has shown all-around athleticism and projectable power with solid arm strength on the mound. Look for infielders Bryson Ware and Carson Fisher to have a significant impact in the lineup this season as well. Ware and Fisher are all solid defenders that have displayed quality actions and range but will be expected to have a larger impact at the plate throughout 2019. Patrolling the outfield for the Mavericks will be Gabe Garner, Gage Gregory and Braden Montgomery which have all displayed the athleticism to cover the gaps.

On the mound for the Mavericks will be Blake Dilmore and Trevor Waddell who have both diplayed the ability to control the zone with multiple pitches.

With solid pitching and a number of key hitters returning, Germantown will be tough to beat in 2019.

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