Alabama High School Team Preview: Pike Liberal Arts Patriots
February 11, 2022
The 2022 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 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 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: Pike Liberal Arts Patriots
Coach’s Name: Rush Hixon
Classification: AISA Class AAA
Area Number: Region 2
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4
No. of Returning Pitchers: 2
Team Strengths: Pitching, Athletic Offense
Top Returning Players:
- LHP/OF Drew Nelson (Auburn, 2022)
- RHP/1B Press Jefcoat (Pensacola State CC, 2022)
- OF/LHP Darryl Lee (Coastal Alabama CC-South, 2022)
- UTL Jayden Jordan (2022)
- 1B/RHP Skylar Kidd (2022)
- OF Arden Wiser (2022)
- UTL KC Bradford (2023)
- C John Lott (2024)
Top 2022 Prospects:
- SS Cason Eubanks (Georgia Southern, 2022)
Top 2023 Prospects:
- OF Levi Deboer (2023)
Top 2024 & 2025 Prospects:
- 3B Payne Jefcoat (2024)
- LHP Will Rice (2024)
- RHP/INF Kade Brookins (2025)
- C/RHP Luke Barron (2025)
Team Outlook
The Pike Liberal Arts have cemented themselves as a powerhouse in the AISA after winning the Class AAA State Championship last spring in dominating fashion. The Patriots come into the spring of 2022 with a lot of returning talent back on the roster from last year's team, and they'll look to repeat again in 2022 as Class AAA State Champs.
The Patriots have four returning players from the lineup and two returning arms on the mound in 2022. LHP/OF Drew Nelson (Auburn) is a huge piece coming back for Pike Liberal Arts both at the plate and on the mound. Nelson is a top-5 player in the senior class in Alabama with an upper-80's fastball and gap-to-gap power from the left side of the plate. SS Cason Eubanks (Georgia Southern) is another player signed to a Division 1 program that transferred to the Patriots for his final year of school. Eubanks is a really athletic player with a reliable glove up the middle, and will be sure to hit towards the top of the lineup this spring. RHP/1B Press Jefcoat (Pensacola State CC) is another returning pitcher for the Patriots who was a top-of-the-rotation arm on last year's team. Jefcoat has a fastball that can get up into the upper-80's with a high-spin breaking ball to compliment. OF/LHP Darryl Lee (Coastal Alabama CC-South) is another key piece coming for his senior season. Lee is an athletic player who should be another offensive threat hitting in the heart of the order. UTL Jayden Jordan, 1B/RHP Skylar Kidd, OF Arden Wiser & UTL KC Bradford are all upperclassmen who played big roles last spring, while C John Lott returns as the starting catcher from last year's team as a sophomore.
Some other names to watch for this spring will be OF Levi Deboer, 3B Payne Jefcoat, LHP Will Rice, RHP/INF Kade Brookins & C/RHP Luke Barron. Deboer is a junior who should see some time in the outfield, while the rest are underclassmen looking to make an impact on this year's team. The Patriots should once again be one of the favorites to hoist the AISA Class AAA State Title in 2022.
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