The 2024 Texas 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 Texas.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Austin at the UIL State Tournament in June, 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 Texas. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 30 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 30 rankings.

Our 2024 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Cleburne Yellowjackets
Head Coach: Ross Taylor
UIL Classification: UIL Class 5A (District 8)
Team Strengths: Defense
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 18-14
Key Players Lost:

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ UTL/RHP Falon Trevino (2024; East Central)
+ LHP/INF Mason Runnels (2024; Grayson College)
+ INF/RHP Vincent Martinez (2025; uncommitted)
+ UTL Malachi Cunningham (2026)
+ OF/LHP Beaux Douthitt (2026)

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TOP NEWCOMERS

+ INF/RHP Carter Howe (2026)
+ OF Zander Ballenger (2026)

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FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW

+ RHP/UTL Landon Jordan (2027)
+ INF Manny Aguilar (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Coach Ross Taylor and the Cleburne Yellowjackets just missed out on the 5A playoffs in 2023, but with their defense and infusion of youth, the Yellowjackets could return to postseason play in 2024.

Recent East Central commit, UTL/RHP Falon Trevino (2024), will be leading the charge for Cleburne in 2024 alongside recent Grayson College commit, LHP/INF Mason Runnels (2024). Trevino and Runnels are both two-way players for Cleburne and will be expected to lead the team on and off the field as key returning seniors. A key returner for the junior class in 2024 is another two-player in INF/RHP Vincent Martinez (2025; uncommitted), who will help bring along the underclassmen that are new to the Yellowjackets program.

Cleburne returns a sophomore duo that played as freshmen last year in the form of UTL Malachi Cunningham and OF/LHP Beaux Douthitt. They are projected to be joined by another sophomore pair that will be new to the varsity squad in INF/RHP Carter Howe and OF Zander Ballenger. The Yellowjackets have a couple freshmen worth following as they begin their high school careers in RHP/UTL Landon Jordan and INF Manny Aguilar, who will have the opportunity to crack the varsity roster this season.

The Yellowjackets are hopeful their strong defense will be able to keep them in every game throughout the season as the young talent on the roster develops over the year. Although they just missed the playoffs in 2023, Cleburne has a lot to be excited about in 2024 as they try to work their way back into postseason contention.

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Find more information on the 2024 Cleburne Yellowjackets program below:

+ Prep Baseball Texas, Power 30 Homepage

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