Alabama HS Team Preview: Citronelle Wildcats
January 1, 2024
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: Citronelle Wildcats
Head Coach: Cody Crowell
Classification: AHSAA Class 5A
Area Number: Class 5A, Area 2
2023 Record (Finish): 12-10 (No Postseason)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4
Team Strengths: Defense & Baserunning
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- 1B Brayden Helton (2024; uncommitted)
- INF Hal Weaver (2024; uncommitted)
MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS
Class of 2024
- OF Joseph Byrd (2024; uncommitted)
- SS Randy Hernandez (2024; uncommitted)
- C Bradyn Rivers (2024; uncommitted)
Class of 2025
- UTL/RHP James “Peanut” Reid (2025; uncommitted)
- OF Garrett Pitts (2025; uncommitted)
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
Class of 2026
- 1B/OF JJ Rivers (2026)
- OF/RHP Logan Malone (2026)
Class of 2027
- RHP Toby Rowell (2027)
TEAM OUTLOOK
The Citronelle Wildcats took a big step in 2023 competing in their first season in Class 5A, and just barely missed the playoffs in a tough area. There are plenty of familiar faces returning for the 2024 campaign who played a big role on last year's team, and they'll look to lead the way and take the next step of reaching the playoffs this spring.
Finishing the season with a winning record last season after going 6-16 in 2022, Coach Crowell & co. certainly has this program headed in the right direction. The Wildcats will once again compete in a tough Area 2 in Class 5A against St. Paul's Episcopal, Mobile Christian, LeFlore, and Vigor at the end of the season for a berth in the playoffs. Coach Crowell expects this year's team to be a sound defensive club and should be able to be aggressive on the basepaths, as well. 1B Brayden Helton (2024) will once again be a major offensive contributor for the Wildcats after a solid 2023 campaign. The left-handed hitter provided plenty of extra-base hits and was a primary run-producer for the Wildcats as a junior a season ago, and will look to take an even bigger step in his senior season. INF Hal Weaver (2024) is another returning senior that played a pivotal role on last year's team. The senior infielder is expected to be a key middle-of-the-order hitter for the Wildcats and should be one of their leaders, as well. A few other seniors to know for the spring are OF Joseph Byrd (2024), SS Randy Hernandez (2024), and C Bradyn Rivers (2024). In addition to these talented seniors, UTL/RHP James "Peanut" Reid (2025) and OF Garrett Pitts (2025) are a pair of upperclassmen that will look to take another step in production and be key pieces in their offense.
Many of the returners for the Wildcats are seniors and juniors, but Citronelle will also need some newer faces to step into larger roles and fill the spots that were left by graduating seniors. 1B/OF JJ Rivers (2026) and OF/RHP Logan Malone (2026) are a pair of sophomores that are expected to have breakout seasons, while RHP Toby Rowell (2027) has a chance to see a strong workload on the mound as a freshman. After taking a big step from 2022 to 2023 and just missing out on the playoffs, the Wildcats looked poised to take another leap with plenty of returners coming back in 2024.
Find more information on the 2024 Citronelle High School program below:
+ Follow them on X: @CitroBaseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2024 HS Team Previews
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+ Prep Baseball Alabama on X
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