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The 2021 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. That excitement may be at an all-time high entering this high school season as the 2020 high school baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season during an offseason unlike any other and as always, there are some very talented players and teams across Tennessee.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Murfreesboro at the TSSAA Spring Fling state championships, 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. 

We start diving into the Preseason Power 25 Rankings, highlighting some of the deepest clubs across the state. Although we could have done 40+ clubs with so many talented teams getting tuned up for the 2021 season, we can only rank 25 and this list will continue to change as the season plays out on the field.  There will be teams not on the list that will be battling for a state championship come late May, so take it for what it's worth, as no championships have ever been won on paper.  

 *Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.

 

High School: Mt. Juliet High School

Coach: Zach Thompkins

Classification: TSSAA AAA-District 10

 

 Top Returning Players:

2021 RHP Colton Regen (Vanderbilt Commit)

2022 RHP/SS Austin Hunley (Tennessee Commit)

2021 RHP/2B Jack Fortner (Calhoun CC Commit)

2021 OF Seth Stevens (Transylvania Commit)

2022 RHP/3B Justin Lee

 

2021 Prospects:

2021 RHP Colton Regen (Vanderbilt Commit)

2021 RHP Brady Young (ETSU Commit)

2021 RHP/2B Jack Fortner (Calhoun CC Commit)

2021 OF Seth Stevens (Transylvania Commit)

2021 C/RHP Hoyt Griner (Uncommitted)

2021 RHP Bryce Holbrook (Uncommitted)

 

2022/Underclass Prospects:

2022 RHP/SS Austin Hunley (Tennessee Commit)

2022 RHP/3B Justin Lee

2022 C Anthony Buckland

2022 3B/RHP Tannor Meyer

 

Outlook: 

I think it’s safe to say that nobody lost more from the 2020 squad than Mt. Juliet, losing a deep senior class to graduation including multiple D1 arms but also a good chunk of their roster to the new Green Hill HS.  However, the Golden Bears still return a good bit and have the pitching and veteran presence to make a deep run in the postseason. They’ll have the luxury of two aces with Sr. RHP Colton Regen (Vanderbilt) and Jr. RHP/SS Austin Hunley (Tennessee), both in the upper 80s, potentially getting into the low 90s with wipeout breaking balls. Behind them will be two more upper 80s arm with transfer RHP Brady Young (ETSU) and RHP/INF Jack Fortner (Calhoun CC). Sr. OF Seth Stevens (Transylvania) will help fill the void in the OF and he shows a good mix of speed and improving pop from the left side.  Hunley will man SS when he’s not on the bump with presumably Fortner up the middle and RHP/3B Justin Lee at the hot corner, who also came on strong late in the fall with his FB up to 87 and more offensive production.  They will have two more than capable catching options with Sr. C/RHP Hoyt Griner, who also can pitch it in the mid 80s plus play 1B, and Jr. C Anthony Buckland, who is a steady defender that can receive it.  As they showed last year, their pitching and defense up the middle will be the strong point for this squad as they look to get back to Spring Fling for the first time since 2012. 

 

Best of luck this season!

 

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