Alabama HS Team Preview: Fayetteville Wolves
February 6, 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: Fayetteville Wolves
Head Coach: Matt Collier
Classification: AHSAA Class 2A
Area Number: Class 2A, Area 9
2023 Record (Finish): 21-14 (Eliminated in Sweet Sixteen)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4
No. of Returning Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: Returning Starting Pitching, More Experienced, Team Speed & Baserunning, High Baseball IQ
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- 1B/RHP Kia Tubbs (2024; uncommitted)
- 3B/RHP Ethan Jones (2026)
- SS Collin Roland (2024; uncommitted)
3B/RHP Colin Jones (11/21/21)
MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS
Class of 2025
- OF/RHP Braydon Williams (2025; uncommitted)
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
- C/RHP Brenton Cantrell (2026)
- OF Cameron Hammonds (2026)
- 3B/RHP Blake McDaniel (2027)
- INF/RHP Carter Goins (2027)
TEAM OUTLOOK
The Fayetteville Wolves have consistently reeled off impressive seasons over the course of the last few seasons and have been a mainstay in the Class 2A playoffs. Last year was no different as winner's of their area, and this spring, they'll hope to take the next step within their program and advance into the later rounds.
The Wolves seemed to become one of the hotter teams in Class 2A down the stretch last season, winning eight straight games heading into the playoffs. Speaking on how talented they were, Fayetteville actually won the area series against Vincent, who finished as the runner-up in Class 2A, which allowed them to host the 1st round of the playoffs. Hosting a perennial powerhouse in Class 2A in Alabama, the Wolves were able to handle Mars Hill Bible with relative ease, winning Games 1 and 2 by scores of 5-1 and 10-7 to push their winning streak to 10 games. During the Sweet 16, the Wolves faced-off against another powerhouse program in Donoho, but unfortunately dropped that tightly-contested series by scores of 6-5 and 4-2 to close their season with a 21-14 record. It was definitely a successful season nonetheless, and they'll hope to carry that momentum into this spring, where they return four positional starters and three proven starting pitchers. Two of those notable returners this spring are 1B/RHP Kia Tubbs (2024) and 3B/RHP Ethan Jones (2026), both of which helped carry the load at the plate and on the mound last season. Tubbs posted a .340 batting average and went 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA on the mound last season, while Jones hit .354 and collected 60 strikeouts with a 3.33 ERA on the mound. SS Collin Roland (2024) is coming off a stellar junior campaign where he posted a .438 batting average and led the team in runs scored and stolen bases. All three of these returners are expected to be a large part of their success, while OF/RHP Braydon Williams (2025) is another upperclassmen who average just over a strikeout an innings last season and carries some power to the middle of the order. Looking at the sophomore class, C/RHP Brenton Cantrell (2026) and OF Cameron Hammonds (2024) are expected to see their workload continue this spring, while 3B/RHP Blake McDaniel (2027) and INF/RHP Carter Goins (2027) are freshman who are looking to make a big impact at the varsity level this spring.
Coming off another strong 2023 season, the Wolves seem to have some important returning pieces to carry the momentum left last season into 2024. They'll compete in Area 9 against Vincent, B.B. Comer, and Westminster-Oak Mountain for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Look for Fayetteville to once again reach the playoffs and be a competitive club in Class 2A in 2024.
Find more information on the 2024 Fayetteville High School program below:
+ Follow them on X: @BSBLFHS
+ 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
