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2025 OSSAA Team Preview: Tahlequah Tigers

February 12, 2025
Prep Baseball Oklahoma Staff

The Oklahoma high school baseball season kicks off on Feb. 24 for classes A and B and Mar. 1 for classes 2A-6A, opening day for regular season action under OSSAA regulations. Leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2025 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down to the official Prep Baseball Oklahoma Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a preseason questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Tahlequah
Head Coach: Cody Pair (12)
Classification: 5A
2024 Record (Finish): 24-12, State Semi-Finals

 

2025 SEASON OUTLOOK

No. of Returning Position Players: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4

Top Returners:

  • SS/P Cutter Girdner (2026) - 6', 165, R/R
    • Big Time athlete returns after starting every game at SS as a sophomore and leadoff, Cutter will provide speed at the top of the order and is a plus defender with a plus arm at SS; Levi Kelly, IF/P, 2025, 5'10", 190, R/R, District Starter with an 8-2 record as a Junior and a 1.89 ERA will be the number one on the mound as a senior, will also look to be a middle of the order bat and is a plus defender when not on the mound.
  • C/OF/P Synjin Sampson (2026) - 6'2", 185, R/R
    • Returning middle of the order bat, baseball player in every sense of the word, will be asked to catch a lot but will be in the lineup every game, had a bunch of key at bats as a sophomore and is bigger and stronger and will be leaned on to produce runs.
  • Will Talburt (2027) - 6'1", 190, R/R
    • Limited some last year due to injury will be a contributor this year as a sophomore, several key at bats as a freshman bode well for him, low swing and miss at the plate will be a big part of his success, on the mound has plus stuff as a sophomore, 3 plus pitches and could be our 1 or two if it translates to games.
  • OF/P Harry Hanley (2027) - 5'9", 135, L/L
    • Limited as a freshman due to injury but will be leaned on as a sophomore, also had a lot of at bats as a freshman and will look to produce in the lineup and provide speed on the basepaths, plus stuff on the mound from the left side and great feel for a breaking ball he also has front of the rotation stuff if he can translate to games;
  • 1B Kael Carey (2026) - 5'10", 265, R/R
    • Junior with a ton of pop and can really hit, will be asked to drive in runs from the middle of the order.


Top Newcomers:

  • 1B/P Brayden Carey (2028) - 6'4", 250, R/R
    • The freshman right hander will be asked to deliver innings from the mound and has a ton of hand strength and physicality at the plate, will be a contributor in many ways as a freshman.
  • CF Michael Torkleson (2027) - 5'10", 155, R/R
    • Freshman speedster is a plus athlete, has plus speed and arm from the outfield and will be asked to provide a lot of speed on the bases, future leadoff guy as he gets older and matures.
  • IF/OF Cade Smith (2027) 5'10", 170, R/R
    • Transferred in last year as a freshman and will be a part of the lineup as a sophomore.
  • C/IF/OF Kael Dobbins (2027) 5'9", 165, R/R
    • Plus athlete that will be able to play a multitude of positions and can really hit, tore his labrum and football so may be a slow start but will be a part of the playoff run late

Key Players Lost:

Coach’s Insight: “Offensively we will have multiple tools, we have speed and power and will also hit for a high average. Defensively we have plus defenders at several key positions and if our younger players develop like we plan we will be very solid at every position with strong position arms and speed. We return a guy who threw district games every week and threw in the state semifinals, he will anchor a rotation of young pitchers all with plus stuff. If the young arms develop and perform like we know that they can we will be a very tough team. We will be a bit on the younger side. We had several young guys last year though and our young guys stepped up, we are looking for our guys to do the same thing this year. ” – Cody Pair, head coach

Find more information on the 2025 Tahlequah program below:

+ Follow them on X: @tquah_baseball

+ Visit Prep Baseball Oklahoma’s 2025 OSSAA Team Previews page to learn more.

+ If you are a high school coach and didn’t receive our questionnaire, please click HERE to fill out the form

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