Mississippi HS Team Preview: Newton County Cougars
January 15, 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: Newton County High School
Head Coach: Jordan Smith
MHSAA Classification: MHSAA 4A
District Number: District 4
2024 Record (Playoff Finish): 22-11 (Eliminated Second Round)
ROSTER PREVIEW
+ No. Returning Positional Starters: 7
+ No. Returning Pitchers: 5
+ Key Returners:
- RHP Ethan Burton (2025, East Central CC)
- CF Cooper Johnson (2025)
- SS Vance Richardson (2025)
- 2B Camden Thoms (2025, Meridian CC)
- C Hayden Amis (2026, Pearl River CC)
More Names to Know
2026s:
- RHP/INF Landry Tolbird (2026, East Central CC)
- INF/OF Caleb Potter (2026, East Central CC)
- LHP/OF Hayden Townsend (2026)
- CINF/C Grant Keith (2026)
TOP NEWCOMERS
+ Impact Underclassmen:
- MIF Brady Bounds (2027)
- RHP/INF Cohen Liggett (2027)
- RHP Braxton Dean (2027)
2025 OUTLOOK
+ Newton County returns 7 positional starters and 5 pitchers from the 2024 roster that finished the season at 22-11 after falling in the 2nd round of the 4A State Playoffs. Head Coach Jordan Smith believes the overall balance of offense and defense, along with leadership and experience could be key components to a deep run for his Cougars and a possible trip to Trustmark Park.
Top returners for Newton County include seniors Ethan Burton (RHP, East Central CC recruit), Cooper Johnson (CF), Vance Richardson (SS), and Camden Thoms (2B, Meridian CC recruit), along with junior Hayden Amis (C, Pearl River CC recruit).
Richardson was a major part of the offensive success a year ago with a .430 batting average and will be looked at to once again produce. He should get help from the lead off hitter Cooper Richardson (.355), power threat Hayden Amis (.312, 3 HR, 10 doubles) and catalyst Camden Thoms.
Other Cougars Coach Smith will be counting on for production are juniors Landry Tolbird (RHP/INF, East Central CC recruit), Caleb Potter (INF/OF, East Central CC recruit), Hayden Townsend (LHP/OF), and Grant Keith (CI/C), along with sophomores Brady Bounds (MI), Cohen Liggett (INF/RHP), and Braxton Dean (RHP).
Newton County will begin regular season play on February 11th versus Neshoba Central.
Find more information on Newton County’s 2025 season below:
+ Follow them on X: @NC_BSB
+ Find more 2025 team previews on our MHSAA Season Preview page
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+ Prep Baseball Mississippi on X
+ Prep Baseball Mississippi on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Mississippi on Facebook
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