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AL HS Team Preview: Headland Rams

January 11, 2023
PBR Alabama Staff

The 2023 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 Alabama.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the Jacksonville/Oxford/Montgomery area at the AISA or AHSAA 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 across Alabama. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing our scheduled podcasts and releasing our preseason Top 10 in each AHSAA classification. 

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 Top 10 in each AHSAA classification as well as a Power 25. One thing that you especially don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state as well as recaps and previews of big games across the state.  

*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 Name: Headland Rams 

Coach’s Name: Brett Birdsong 

Classification: AHSAA 5A 

2022 Record: 24-5

Area Number: Class 5A, Area 3 

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6 

No. of Returning Pitchers: 4 

Team Strengths: Catcher, Speed, Senior Leadership, Experience 

Top Returning Players:

Top 2023 Prospects:

  • OF Ty Barnes (2023)

Top 2024 Prospects:

  • RHP/OF Logan Ivey (2024)
  • C Jayden Raybon (2024)
  • LHP Miles Brannon (2024)

Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects:

  • MIF Bryant Bush (2025) 

Team Outlook

The Headland Rams enjoyed a historic 2022 season going 24-5 and reaching the Final Four in Class 5A. They were one of the more talented teams in their area last spring, and return a good amount of that production this year with a few holes to fill on the mound. They will once again be a team to watch in their classification, as they look to replicate that playoff run and reach the Class 5A State Finals with first-year head coach Brett Birdsong.

As previously mentioned, the Rams had a very successful 2022 season that consisted of quality wins over teams like Opp, Houston Academy, Rehobeth and others during their regular season. They entered the the Class 5A playoffs with just two losses, one being a closely-contested 5-4 loss against 7A Enterprise. After winning their area, the Rams swept through the 1st and 2nd round of the playoffs over Marbury and Elberta with relative ease, and downed 5A No. 1 Shelby County in the Elite 8 in a thrilling three-game series to reach the Final Four. With a spot in the Class 5A Title Series on the line, the Rams were ultimately defeated by Holtville in two games to end their successful season at 24-5. Hopes are high once again this spring to make it back deep into the playoffs, but they'll need some younger guys to step up and fill the holes left by RHP/INF Reigh Jordan and others. OF Mason Steele (Shelton State CC signee, 2023) is one of those returning stars from last year's team, where he hit .403 with 7 2B's, 3 HR's, 33 RBI's, 31 R's and 15 SB's during his junior campaign. Steele is an extremely talented, tooled-up left-hander hitter that will return to the middle of the order while also seeing time on the mound this spring.

OF Mason Steele (6/29/22)

Handling the pitching staff and returning to the heart of the order once again this spring will be C Trent Weatherly (2023), who is fresh off a solid showing at Sunday's South AL Preseason All-State. Weatherly is a strong defensive catcher who hit .329 with 3 2B's, 3B, HR and 20 RBI's at the plate during his junior season. He will be asked once again for that same type of offensive production after really hitting his stride offensively down the stretch last season.

C Trent Weatherly (1/9/23)

The Rams also have a few more senior returners who played a vital role during last year's playoff run. OF/1B Luke Nelson (2023) is a power-hitting right-hander that split time in the outfield and at first base last spring. Nelson is athletic with tons of power hitting from the right side, and also serves as the team's RB during the fall on the gridiron. OF/LHP Parker Littlefield (2023) also returns after hitting .274 last spring and is sure to provide tons of innings on the mound as a veteran, while 1B/OF Kaleb Edwards (2023) hit .480 in batting average in his junior season with 10 RBI's at the plate, and also posted a 1.05 ERA in 10 IP on the mound. LHP/RHP/OF Jake Johnson (2023) is another two-way player that hit .286 last spring before suffering an injury. On the mound, Johnson is ambidextrous and will pitch from both sides of the mound while being a quality arm in their rotation. RHP/3B Bryce Gover (2025) returns as the pitching staff's ace as just a sophomore after a breakout freshman campaign in 2022. Gover, who will also start at third base, was up to 86 mph last spring while posting 65 K's in 44.1 IP and allowing just a 1.10 ERA in the process. He possesses tons of upside and potential, and will be one to follow in the coming years.

RHP Bryce Gover (6/12/22)

Also returning to the infield this spring will be MIF/RHP Evan Taylor (2024), who has a chance to slide over to shortstop to replace his older brother who graduated last spring after playing second base during his sophomore season. Taylor hit .300 with 20 R's last spring hitting out of the two-hole, and is expected to once again be key hitter towards the top of their order.

MIF Evan Taylor (1/9/23)

OF/RHP Trey Scott (2024) is another upperclassmen returner who hit north of .300 in batting average last spring at .305, while also driving in 14 runners and tossing 9 IP and yielding just a 1.55 ERA on the mound. He also has a chance to hit towards the top of the lineup, potentially in the leadoff spot, and has really worked hard this off-season to get stronger. He should also be one of their top pitchers in their rotation, as well.

OF Trey Scott (1/9/23)

The Rams will also need some other players to step into bigger roles and provide some much-needed depth while also pushing for starting time, as well. Some of those guys to watch will be RHP/3B Waylon McGriff (2024), OF Ty Barnes (2023), RHP/OF Logan Ivey (2024), C Jayden Raybon (2024), LHP Miles Brannon (2024) and MIF Bryant Bush (2025). All of these players are sure to play some type of role this spring, while also fighting and competing to see significant playing time. It's easy to see how much returning talent the Rams having coming back this spring, and looked poised to make another deep in the playoffs. They will definitely be one of the teams to watch for when the end of the season comes around in Class 5A in 2023.

 

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