Alabama High School Team Preview: Lauderdale County Tigers
January 5, 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: Lauderdale County High School
Classification: AHSAA 3A, Area 16
Positional Starters Returning: 5
Pitchers Returning: 3
Team Strengths: Pitching
Team Weaknesses: Youth
Top Returning Players:
2022 LHP/OF Ethan Hamm
Top 2023 and 2024 Prospects:
2024 SS Miles Edwards
Outlook:
The Tigers will lean on a bevvy of returning pitchers to help lead the way in their quest for a playoff berth out of 3A Area 16. Senior RHP/OF Nathan Grisham is one of those arms that will log a ton of innings in 2021. Grisham has started pitching on varsity since the 9th grade and shows a mid-80s fastball with nasty off-speed stuff and great command of three pitches while also doubling as an outfielder for the Tigers. Another pitcher and outfielder is junior Brodey Lentz. He shows consistent command with four pitches while keeping hitters off balance with a fastball that tops out at 84 mph and array of off-speed pitches. He also plays centerfield and gets great reads off the bat and can run down balls in the gap. Another junior LHP/OF is Ethan Hamm. A hard nosed player that loves to compete, he shows a low 80s fastball with a wipeout breaking ball. Hamm plays the game the right way as Coach Corey Looney says, "will run through the OF fence to catch a ball". One vital position player the Tigers will depend on is senior outfielder Holden Stanfield. He returns as a 4 year starter and will be a key piece to the middle of the lineup showing a gap to gap approach with some pop. He will be looked at to be the leader of the team. A few underclassmen also return after seeing valuable action in a year ago during the shortened season. Sophomore catcher Devin Word does a great job blocking and has a quick release from behind the plate and led the team with 6 doubles in 10 games as a freshman a season ago. Freshman shortstop Miles Edwards also returns after starting at shortstop as an 8th grader last year. Look for Miles to be at the top of the order as he was in the top 3 in batting average during the shortened 2020 season. Although fairly young, this is another talented Lauderdale County team.
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