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: Union Grove Lions
Head Coach: Chad Halcumb
UIL Classification: UIL Class 2A (District 19)
Team Strengths: Team Chemistry and Defense
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 9-13
Key Players Lost: Cooper Vestal, Colton Cowan

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ INF/RHP Jax Daniels (2024; uncommitted) - 1st Team All-District & Academic All-District 2023
+ OF/LHP Rylan Roberts (2024; uncommitted) - 2nd Team All-District 2023
+ INF/RHP Judson George (2025; uncommitted) - 2nd Team All-District & Academic All-District 2023
+ C/RHP Jacob Griffin (2025; uncommitted) - Honorable Mention All-District 2023
+ 1B Kayden Day (2025; uncommitted) - 2nd Team All-District 2023
+ OF Carter Cooper (2026) - 2nd Team All-District & Academic All-District 2023

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TOP NEWCOMERS

+ UTL/RHP Wrigley Roberts (2026)

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FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW

+ INF Hudson Wightman (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Coach Chad Halcumb and the Union Grove Lions look to rebound in 2024 after failing to make the postseason last year. The Lions believe their biggest strengths this season will be their team chemistry and defense, as they return a decent amount of starters off of last year’s squad.

Leading the charge for Union Grove this year will be the uncommitted senior duo of INF/RHP Jax Daniels and OF/LHP Rylan Roberts. Daniels was First Team All-District in 2023 as a utility player, while Roberts was Second Team All-District as an outfielder. Three uncommitted juniors return to the fold in 2024 that will help round out the upperclassmen core in INF/RHP Judson George (Second Team All-District), C/RHP Jacob Griffin (Honorable Mention All-District), and 1B Kayden Day (Second Team All-District). These five will look to build upon their successes in 2023 and help bring along the youth on the roster throughout the season.

The most notable underclassmen returning in 2024 will be OF Carter Cooper, who earned Second Team All-District as a freshman last season. Cooper won’t be alone in the sophomore class in 2024, as UTL/RHP Wrigley Roberts is expected to join Cooper as an impact player on varsity this year. The Lions are hopeful that freshman INF Hudson Wightman could potentially make an early impact on the team at some point this season.

Coach Halcumb has a solid core of returners to lean on in 2024 with potentially exciting underclassmen to supplement, hopefully leading towards a 2A playoff berth for the Lions.

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Find more information on the 2024 Union Grove Lions program below:

+ 2024 Schedule
+ Follow Union Grove on X: @Grove_Baseball
+ Prep Baseball Texas, 2024 Team Previews

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