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Mississippi HS Team Preview: Northwest Rankin Cougars

February 11, 2025
Prep Baseball Mississippi Staff

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: Northwest Rankin High School
Head Coach: KK Aldridge
MHSAA Classification: MHSAA 7A
District Number: 3
2024 Record (Playoff Finish): 22-10 (Eliminated Fourth Round)

 

ROSTER PREVIEW

+ No. Returning Positional Starters: 5
+ No. Returning Pitchers: 4
+ Key Returners:

More Names to Know

2025s:

2026s:

TOP NEWCOMERS

+ Impact Underclassmen:

2025 OUTLOOK

+ Northwest Rankin returns a strong core from last year’s 22-10 squad that made a deep playoff run before falling in the 4th round of the 7A State Playoffs. Head Coach KK Aldridge will rely on a combination of pitching depth and experienced position players to guide the Cougars through another competitive season.

Leading the way are top returners like seniors Gabe Hodges (OF/RHP, Pearl River CC signee, Future Gamer), Brady Saxton (OF/LHP, Gulf Coast CC signee, Future Gamer), Jack Scott (INF, Meridian CC signee), and Chase Peeples (INF/OF). The junior class features key contributors such as Nelson Barthel (C, Future Gamer), Brooks Crawley (OF/DH), Jackson Meehan (INF/RHP, Southern Miss commit, Future Gamer), and Noah Williams (INF/RHP).

Saxton paced the Cougars' offense last season with a team-high 24 RBIs, while Barthel (19 RBIs) and Scott (18 RBIs) provided additional firepower. On the mound, Saxton (5-1, 1.41 ERA) and Hodges (5-0, 2.87 ERA) anchor a pitching staff that also features Williams, Meehan, and a deep bullpen ready to contribute.

Coach Aldridge will also look to seniors Eli Ladner (DH/1B) and Seth Sweeney (OF), along with juniors Dalton Pixley (RHP, Meridian CC commit), Maddox May (RHP, East Central CC commit), Russ Ingram (1B), to provide key production. Several underclassmen are also expected to make an impact, including sophomores John Merrell Moore (INF/OF/RHP), Gavin Phillipson (OF), Cameron Thompson (OF/C/RHP), and Jett White (RHP).

The Cougars open their regular season on February 10th against Florence, aiming to build on last year's success and make another deep playoff run.

Find more information on Northwest Rankin’s 2025 season below:

+ Follow them on X: @NWR_Baseball
+ Find more 2025 team previews on our MHSAA Season Preview page

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