Alabama High School Team Preview: Southside Panthers
January 21, 2021
The 2021 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. That excitement may be at an all-time high entering this high school season as the 2020 high school baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season during an offseason unlike any other and as always, there are some very talented players and teams across Alabama.
Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Montgomery 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 note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.
High School: Southside High School
Classification: AHSAA 6A Area 13
Positional Starters Returning: 6
Pitchers Returning: 2
Team Strengths: Athleticism, Team Speed, Team Depth, High Baseball IQ
Team Weaknesses: Lack a dominant guy on the mound
Top Returning Players:
Top 2023 Prospect:
Outlook:
The Southside Panthers have a history of success and the 2021 team should be no different as the team will compete in a very difficult 6A Area 13 along with Oxford, Pell City and Springville. The complete makeup of the team is very solid in a number of ways but may lack a true dominant arm on the mound. That doesn't mean there aren't quality guys on the Panthers roster to toe the rubber. One of those guys is a true two way talent in senior INF/RHP Jacob Little. The Southern Union CC signee is a very athletic player that can do it all. He is a fierce competitor and knows how to pitch and provides a good deal of power from the left side at the plate. Senior OF Aulden Battles also returns and will be relied on heavily to be a run producer again in 2021. he is a very good defensive outfielder that can really run. He shows a good deal of power off the bat from the right side. Another junior OF is Toren Snow. He can do a lot of good things on the field but the bat is the big player with him as he consistently shows major juice from the left side from his physical frame (6'2 190 lbs.). Catcher Drew McBurett is another returning junior starter that is a very solid defensive catcher with very accurate throws to the bag at 2B. He has a solid offensive approach and uses the whole field with the bat. The outfield should be a strength of the Panthers as sophomore Thomas Farley will join Battles and Snow in the grass. Farley also has some power in the bat and is a big time runner and does a nice job tracking balls off the bat. The Panthers should be in the thick of the 6A Area 13 race hoping to punch a playoff spot.
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