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: Vincent Yellow Jackets 

Coach’s Name: Corey Goodson 

Classification: AHSAA 2A 

2022 Record: 28-9

Area Number: Class 2A, Area 9 

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7 

No. of Returning Pitchers: 6 

Team Strengths: Depth, Competitive Nature, Maturity  

Top Returning Players:

• OF/RHP Zac Carlisle (Montevallo, 2023)
• 1B Easton Fields (2023)
• C Camden Cobb (2024)
• RHP/SS Aiden Poe (2025)
• RHP/INF Casen Fields (2025)
• LHP/OF Grayson Gulde (2025)

Top 2023 Prospects:

• INF Myles Fincher (2023)
• INF Hunter Burnette (2023)

Top 2024 Prospects:

• UTL Ray Albright (2024)

Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects:

• UTL Aiden Gaseway (2025)

Team Outlook

2022 was a big year for the Vincent Yellow Jackets, reaching the Elite 8 in Class 2A and posting an impressive 28-9 record with three of those losses coming to Shelby County, one of the top teams in Class 5A. With much of that team coming back for 2023, there are some big expectations for the Yellow Jackets to make an even deeper run in Class 2A this spring.

The Yellow Jackets have a chance to be one of the top teams in their classification this spring with seven positional starters and six pitchers returning from last year's roster. After starting the season unranked in our Class 2A Preseason Poll, the Yellow Jackets made their debut in Week 1 and never fell outside the Top-10 while reaching No. 2 at one point in the middle of the season. They were, however, eliminated in the Elite 8 to GW Long, the No. 1-ranked team and eventual Class 2A State Champions. OF/RHP Zac Carlisle (Montevallo signee, 2023) returns as for his senior season after earning All-State and All-County honors in his junior campaign. In 2022, Carlisle posted some big numbers hitting .479 with 13 2B's, five 3B's, two HR's, 35 RBI's and 25 SB's. He'll be relied on again this spring for that same offensive output, while also logging some innings on the mound. RHP/SS Aiden Poe (2025), a Top-25 prospect in the sophomore class, is another Yellow Jackets who earned All-State and All-County honors in his freshman year. Poe, the 2022 Shelby County Pitcher of the Year went 10-3 with a 1.47 ERA and 96 strikeouts on the mound and hit .340 with 31 RBI's at the plate.

‘25 SS/RHP Aiden Poe (@Aiden_Poe_7) is another freshman to keep an eye on in the coming years.

Looseness to the swing during BP working with a line drive approach to all fields. Also up to 79 mph on the mound.#SouthALSelect pic.twitter.com/3tMPDFARA6

— PBR Alabama (@PBR_Alabama) October 3, 2021

RHP/SS Aiden Poe (10/3/21)

Returning to the middle of the order, 1B Easton Fields (2023) was the third player for Vincent who earned All-County honors, making it two years in a row for the physical left-handed hitter. Fields will be another one the Yellow Jackets will be looking to for offensive production. C Camden Cobb (2024) is another upperclassmen coming back this spring, he'll handle the pitching staff and should hit in the middle of the order. RHP/INF Casen Fields (2025) and LHP/OF Grayson Gulde (2025) are a pair of sophomores who will only see their roles expand this year after getting a year of experience under their belt. Some more players to watch for this spring will be INF Myles Fincher (2023), INF Hunter Burnette (2023), UTL Ray Albright (2024), and UTL Aiden Gaseway (2025). 

It's easy to see why the Yellow Jackets have such high hopes heading into the spring of 2023. They'll be one of the teams to watch in Class 2A after having a successful season last year and most of that roster coming back. Be sure to keep an eye out for the Yellow Jackets as contenders in Class 2A once the end of the season comes around in May. 

 

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