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Alabama HS Team Preview: Corner Yellow Jackets

February 9, 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: Corner Yellow Jackets
Head Coach: Caleb Hoyle
Classification: AHSAA Class 4A
Area Number: Class 4A, Area 10
2023 Record (Finish): 20-18 (Eliminated in Sweet Sixteen)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 6
Team Strengths: Pitching, Defense

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

RHP/3B Brendan Conner (6/13/23)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2025

LHP/OF Sam Hill (8/27/23)

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Corner Yellow Jackets appear to be one of the top teams in Class 4A this season with numerous returners coming back, and some having already signed to play baseball at the collegiate level. After reaching the Sweet 16 a season ago, the Yellow Jackets look primed to advance even further and make a run at the Class 4A State Championship series this spring.

The Yellow Jackets debuted at No. 3 in the inaugural Class 4A Top-10 Poll to kick-off the season in 2023, and after struggling a bit in the early part of the season due to some injuries, they seemed to start playing their best baseball down the stretch and eventually won their area. After defeating Central-Florence in their 1st round matchup in three games, the Yellow Jackets were unfortunately eliminated by Etowah, the eventual Class 4A State Champion, in two games to close their season with a 20-18 record. This spring, they seem to be even more prepared for a deeper playoff run with numerous returners coming back with experience and a key arm back to full strength after being sidelined due to injury last season. RHP/3B Brendan Conner (Alabama-Birmingham, 2024) is a top-20 prospect in the senior class in AL and is regarded as one of the top two-way prospects in the state. Conner, a hard-nosed player who plays the game hard, has a fastball that reaches the low-90's on the mound and can bang the ball all over the yard hitting in the heart of their order. RHP/1B Brodie Dunlap (Alabama-Birmingham, 2024) is another dominant right-handed arm ranked inside the top-25 in the 2024 class in AL that the Yellow Jackets are glad to have back on the staff, as he also can run his fastball into the low-90's on occasion. Both are former PBR Future Games alumni and look poised to lead this program once again in 2024. C Cole Rasbury (Wallace-Hanceville CC, 2024) and RHP/OF Eli Cannon (Wallace-Hanceville CC, 2024) are two more senior returners who the coaching staff are expecting big things from. Rasbury is a power left-handed bat and a good defender behind the plate, while Cannon looks to be back to normal after last season's injury and should compliment Conner and Dunlap in the pitching rotation. Another upperclassmen to watch for this spring is LHP/OF Sam Hill (2025), another two-way player who impacts the game on both sides of the ball. The junior should see plenty of innings on the mound in addition to some production on the offensive side. 

Pitching should no doubt be one of their main strengths, as the Yellow Jackets boast four quality returning arms in their rotation. They'll compete in Area 10 against Cordova, Curry, and Dora for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Expect Corner to be one of the main contenders in Class 4A this spring, and should be ranked farily high in our preseason polls coming out next week.

Find more information on the 2024 Corner High School program below:

+ Follow them on X: @Corner_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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