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Alabama HS Team Preview: Deshler Tigers

January 26, 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: Deshler High School
Head Coach: Justin Cantrell
Classification: AHSAA 4A
Area Number: 4A, Area 15
2023 Record (Finish): 23-12 (Eliminated in 1st Round)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 5
Team Strengths: Pitching Staff, Baserunning, Top of Lineup

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

RHP/OF Price Thornton (1/6/24)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Deshler Tigers enjoyed a stellar 2023 campaign a season ago that featured over 20 wins after finishing with a losing record the year prior. It was a big step in the right direction for this program, and they'll look to continue to build off of that momentum with some returning upperclassmen and a strong core of talented underclassmen.

The Tigers, who recorded 23 wins in 2023, were the winners of their area and hosted their 1st round playoff matchup, but were unfortunately eliminated in three games against Cordova. After getting a taste of playoff baseball, the Tigers should certainly be motivated to advance further and seems like they have the talent to do so this spring. RHP/OF Price Thornton (2026), a top-60 prospect in the 2026 class in AL, seemed to do it all for the Tigers last season as a freshman, hitting at the top of the order and serving as their ace on the pitching staff. The sophomore is coming off a standout showing at the North AL Preseason All-State in early January, where he touched 87 mph and showcased a gap-to-gap approach at the plate. INF Camden Fuller (2026) was another sophomore prospect who was in attendance the same event, where he showcased his athleticism at a high-level. Fuller also hit at the top of their order last season as a freshman and was a perfect 18-18 on stolen bases a season ago. RHP/C Jacob Alexander (2025) returns as their cleanup hitter and will be looked upon to drive in runs, and should also once again be one of their top arms in their pitching rotation. INF Ayden Noyola (2027), a top-20 prospect in the 2027 class in AL and PBR Jr. Future Games alumni, is already regarded as one of the top young hitters in the state in his class, and will look to build off of his productive season as an eighth-grader last spring, while OF Jacob Allen (2024) is one of the top athletes on the team and very solid in the outfield defensively. In addition to Thornton, Fuller, and Noyola, the Tigers have some more talented underclassmen to watch for in the next few years. Some of those players to know are RHP/INF Garrett Reid (2026) and LHP/OF Brady McKinney (2026), both of which will look to make an impact this spring at the varsity level.

The Tigers should once again be a solid club in Class 4A this spring, with talented returners returning on both sides of the ball. They'll compete in Area 15 against Central-Florence, Hamilton, and Wilson for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Expect Deshler to once again be a formidable opponent in Class 4A in 2024.

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

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

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+ Prep Baseball Alabama on X
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