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Alabama HS Team Preview: Central-Phenix City Red Devils

February 12, 2024
Austin Sharp
Alabama Scouting Director

The 2024 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 rankings 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 ranks in each AHSAA classification, as well updating our Power 25 overall rankings. One thing, especially, you don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state, as well as the recaps and previews of the big games we’re covering.

*Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state, based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason.

High School: Central-Phenix City Red Devils
Head Coach: AJ Kehoe
Classification: AHSAA Class 7A
Area Number: Class 7A, Area 4
2023 Record (Finish): 34-11 (State Runner-Up)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4
No. of Returning Pitchers: 2
Team Strengths: Depth and Balance of Lineup, Athleticism

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

1B Landon Beaver (3/9/23)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2025

C Cooper Kehoe (6/13/23)

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Central-Phenix City Red Devils have really blossomed into one of the more perennial powers in the state of Alabama, regardless of classification, reaching the Class 7A State Championship in back-to-back seasons and capturing the title in 2022. The goal stays the same for the Red Devils this spring, as they bring back some notable returners to this year's team.

The Red Devils were ranked inside the top-5 in Class 7A for the entirety of the season in 2023, as they rolled through the regular season while accumulating some noteworthy wins over some of the top programs in the southeast. After winning a difficult area with four quality teams, the Red Devils took series against Daphne, Enterprise, and Smiths Station to reach the Class 7A State Championship series, where they matched up with Vestavia Hills. In what was a thrilling series that came down the Game 3, they were unfortunately eliminated to end their season with an impressive 34-11 record. Looking at this year's team, they should feature a balanced lineup from top to bottom and should boast solid athleticism. 1B Landon Beaver (Alabama-Birmingham, 2024) is one of the top left-handed bats in the state and returns for his third season at the varsity level. The senior has delivered big hits throughout his career and will look to do more of the same this spring as he leads the offense. 3B/RHP Hunter Wippert (Chattahoochee Valley CC, 2024) is a two-way player who also has multiple years of experience at the varsity level. He's shown the ability to run his fastball into the upper-80's and has good pop from the right side of the plate. INF Cason Page (2024) is another returning starter from last year who should provide valuable contributions, while OF Emory Yohn (2025) also returns to the lineup after a strong sophomore season and is regarded as one of the top uncommitted outfielders in the junior class in AL. INF Sam Brown (2025) is a talented newcomer who should find a spot on the infield and hit in the heart of their order, while C Cooper Kehoe (2025) and OF/LHP Briggs Cameron (2025) also look poised for strong seasons as juniors.

It seems like you can always count on the Red Devils to be one of the more competitive teams in Class 7A year in, and year out, and this year seems to be no different with solid talent returning on both sides of the ball. They'll compete in Area 4 against Auburn, Smiths Station, and Opelika for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Expect Central-Phenix City to be a tough, hard-nosed team with plenty of talent to go around in Class 7A in 2024.

Find more information on the 2024 Central Phenix City program below:

+ Follow them on X: @CenPC_Baseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2024 HS Team Previews

FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL ALABAMA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball Alabama on X
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Facebook

 

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