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: Harleton Wildcats
Head Coach: DJ Beck
UIL Classification: UIL Class 2A (District 19)
Team Strengths: Defense and Pitching
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 37-1 (2A State Champions)
Key Players Lost: Braden Hopkins (1B/P), Dylan Armstrong (3B/P)

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ OF Cameron Johnson (2024; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
+ UTL Peyton Murray (2024; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
+ INF Shawn Booth (2024; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
+ INF Tanner Tate (2024; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
+ LHP Carson Wallace (2025; uncommitted) - First Team All-State, District Most Valuable Player in 2023
+ OF Gage Shirts (2025; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
+ C Mason Clark (2025; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
+ OF Evan Vance (2025; uncommitted) - Second Team All-District in 2023

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TOP NEWCOMERS

+ OF Kaden Skaggs (2026)
+ OF/LHP Caleb Correa (2026)

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FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW

+ UTL/RHP Lucas Townlin (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Reigning 2A State Champion Harleton Wildcats and Coach DJ Beck return eight returners from 2023 that earned All-District honors. Coach Beck will rely upon his strong returning defense and pitching depth for their title defense this spring.

Four seniors are back for the Wildcats and all four received All-District distinction last season. On the infield, they’ll return Shawn Booth (uncommitted - 1st Team) and Tanner Tate (uncommitted - 1st Team), while elsewhere on the diamond they’ll return OF Cameron Johnson (uncommitted - 1st Team) and UTL Peyton Murray (uncommitted - 1st Team).

The Wildcats’ returning junior class is just as impressive, as it features the reigning District MVP and First Team All-State selection from last season in LHP Carson Wallace (uncommitted), as well as three other players who were All-District in 2023. OF Gage Shirts (uncommitted) and C Mason Clark (uncommitted) were both First Team All-District, with OF Evan Vance (uncommitted) earning Second Team All-District. These four combined with the previously mentioned senior quartet will lead the way for the younger players throughout the program.

Two sophomores project to play varsity roles in 2024 for the Wildcats in OF Kaden Skaggs and OF/LHP Caleb Correa. A freshman to keep tabs on for this year and future years for the Wildcats will be UTL/RHP Lucas Townlin.

It is hard to see why Harleton can’t repeat as 2A State Champions in 2024 thanks to the wealth of talent they return from a season ago with potential impact underclassmen joining the fold as well.

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Find more information on the 2024 Harleton Wildcats program below:
+ Follow Harleton on X: @HarletonB
+ Prep Baseball Texas, Power 30 Homepage

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