Mississippi HS Team Preview: Kosciusko Whippets
January 16, 2025
The 2025 Mississippi high school baseball season is quickly approaching and, as usual, excitement is abound 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 Mississippi.
Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons at Pearl’s Trustmark Park, in the State Tournament finals at the end of May, 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 Mississippi. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 25 rankings that’ll carry us into the opening week of action.
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 and updating the Power 25 rankings.
Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today.
High School: Kosciusko High School
Head Coach: Cole McBride
MHSAA Classification: MHSAA 4A
District Number: District 3
2024 Record (Playoff Finish): 18-14 (Eliminated Third Round)
ROSTER PREVIEW
+ No. Returning Positional Starters: 8
+ No. Returning Pitchers: 6
+ Key Returners:
- CF Bennie Powell (2025)
- C Barrett Kuhn (2025)
- P Bailey Powers (2025)
- INF Ryan Tillman (2025)
- OF Jon Wyatt Ruscoe (2025)
- OF Adam Greer (2025)
- RHP Braxton Smith (2026)
- INF Aidan Howard (2026)
More Names to Know
2026s:
- UTL Carson Philyaw (2026)
TOP NEWCOMERS
+ Impact Underclassmen:
- RHP/INF Rece Atkinson (2027)
- RHP/INF Braydon Rigby (2027)
- LHP J.D. Cummins (2027)
- C Jackson Schuler (2027)
2025 OUTLOOK
+ Kosciusko High School's baseball team is poised for a promising season, with eight returning positional starters and six pitchers from last year's roster that achieved an 18-14 record and reached the third round of the 4A State Playoffs. Head Coach Cole McBride believes that the team's resilience will be a key factor in their success this year.
The Whippets boast a talented group of returning players, including seniors Bennie Powell (CF), Barrett Kuhn (C), Bailey Powers (LHP), Ryan Tillman (INF), Jon Wyatt Roscoe (OF), and Adam Greer (OF), as well as juniors Braxton Smith (RHP) and Aidan Howard (INF).
Bennie Powell, who was named the region's most valuable player in 2024, is expected to lead the team once again. He will be supported by returning players Barrett Kuhn and Bailey Powell, both of whom were named 1st Team All Region.
Other players who are expected to make significant contributions include junior Carson Philyaw (UT) and sophomores Rece Atkinson (RHP/INF), Braydon Rigby (RHP/INF), JD Cummins (LHP), and Jackson Schuler (C).
Kosciusko's regular season will begin on February 10th against Madison Central.
Find more information on Kosciusko’s 2025 season below:
+ Follow them on X: @BaseballKosy
+ Find more 2025 team previews on our MHSAA Season Preview page
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+ Prep Baseball Mississippi on X
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+ Prep Baseball Mississippi on Facebook
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