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TN HS Team Preview: Lebanon Blue Devils

December 28, 2023
Hunter Martin
TN Scouting Director

The 2024 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds 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 Tennessee.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Murfreesboro at The Spring Fling as they compete for a state championship, 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 Tennessee. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing other pieces of content covering the Volunteer State.

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, updating the Power 25 and much more.

*Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state, based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason.

High School: Lebanon High School
Head Coach: Will Wakefield
Classification: AAAA
District + Region Number: 9AAAA
2023 Record (Finish): 12-18
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: All
Team Strengths: Elite speed and athleticism, pitching depth, very experienced

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

1B Evan Driver (2025)
RHP/INF Jordan Jewell (2025)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2024

Class of 2025

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Blue Devils finished the 2023 season with a 12-18 record after going 19-20 a season before. Heading into the 2023 9-4A district tournament as the #4 seed, the club would finish their season out with a 5 game losing streak with losses to Cookeville 3-6 and Wilson Central 4-5. This is a team returning a lot of experience with a solid core of 2024 class players to go alongside a talented group of underclassmen that will be looking to make their way out of district play and back into the postseason regional tournament where they lost to Hendersonville in the 2022 region semi-finals. The team was decimated with injuries the year prior with Brice Njezic tearing his ACL and Jordan Jewell undergoing Tommy John surgery. However, this year, the team looks healthy finally and really looking to compete as they show speed on the bases and athleticism in the field, as well as true pitching depth and experience on the mound. The Blue devils will be returning 6 starting position players to go alongside its entire core of arms. This is a team that really stands out on paper. Offensively, the team scored 10+ runs only 5 times a season before and were mostly lopsided by large margins of runs throughout the beginning and middle parts of the season before seemingly getting their footing come April and May on the bump. They do not necessarily have to put up an enormous amount of runs if their pitching can play to the level that looks really possible as pitching depth looks to be their strong suit as a team. This should overall be a really good district with Green Hill and Mt. Juliet returning solid squads but look for Lebanon to compete and make a go in district play come 2024.

SS Brice Njezic

Returning after a year off from a torn ACL, Njezic offers good speed in the low 7's to go alongside some pop with presumed 90 mph+ exit velocities off the bat.

RHP Case Collins

6 foot 4 frame that offers projection on the bump. Looks to be D1 talent with the arm and logged experience and innings last season as a freshman. Goes into the season looking to be one of the Blue Devils ace’s on the hill.


RHP Elijah Shreeve

Back to back all district selections with low to mid 80’s from the right side that tandems with a solid changeup he can use to both righties and lefties.


RHP Tyler Kingdon

Another low to mid 80’s arm with solid spin at 2200’s on the FB. Can mix three pitches for strikes and looks to have a big season.


LHP Casen Kincaid

Returning to the team after a year off last season. All-Region performer this past fall on the gridiron with 1,773 passing yards to go with 19 TD’s. Will offer another quality arm, this time from the left side to go with leadership qualities.

1B/LHP Evan Driver, 1B, 2025, 6'2, 220

Big physical frame that has some juice with the bat. 89 mph max exit velocity with an 82 mph average exit velocity over the summer at our Murfreesboro open showcase. Offers some pitchability on the mound in the low to mid 70’s mph on the FB.


RHP/IF Jordan Jewell

Another physical kid making his return from TJ. Showcased well over the summer at our Top-Prospect event where he sat 83-85 mph. Can mix four pitches with the SL, CB and CH. Also offered some projection with the bat as he had multiple upper 80’s/90 mph exit velocities. Good runner in the low 7.2 range. May be the teams best overall player and will look to carry the team on the bump as well in the lineup and could have a very big year.


Utility Cade Thorne

Athletic prospect with sub 7 speed. Low 80’s mph arm that can spin it decently well too. Can plug and play in the infield and outfield and will be a swiss army knife for the club this season.

C Will Wright

Physical frame that will hit anywhere between 3-6 hole range. Batted .387 over the summer and will be the primary catcher.

Find more information on the 2024 Lebanon High School program below:

+ Follow them on X: @LebanonHSBsbl
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Tennessee Team Previews Page

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+ Prep Baseball Tennessee on X
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