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Alabama HS Team Preview: Gulf Shores Dolphins

February 14, 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: Gulf Shores High School
Head Coach: Chris Jacks
Classification: AHSAA Class 5A
Area Number: Class 5A, Area 1
2023 Record (Finish): 23-13 (Eliminated in 1st Round)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: 6
Team Strengths: Team Defense, Experience, Team Speed, Pitching, Situational Hitting

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

RHP/INF Connor Gehr (2/24/23)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2025

  • RHP/1B Hayden Brazil (2025; uncommitted)
  • OF Nate Perez (2025; uncommitted)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

UTL/RHP Judson Harris (1/7/24)

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Gulf Shores Dolphins enjoyed a strong season during their first year in Class 5A after being moved down from Class 6A, as they reached the playoffs and aacumulated over 20 wins. This season, the Dolphins are looking to take it a step further and advance into the deeper rounds of the playoffs in a wide-open Class 5A in 2024.

The Dolphins, who are coming off back-to-back-to-back area championships, were ranked inside the top-10 for the majority of the 2023 season and hosted the 1st round of the playoffs. Getting a tough draw against a scrappy, competitive Shelby County club in the opening round, the Dolphins were ultimately eliminated to close their season with a 23-13 record. Focusing on 2024, the Dolphins return a strong total of six positional starters and six pitchers who all saw time on the mound a season ago. They continue to trend in the right direction, and hope those returning juniors and seniors can help lead this team to a deep playoff run this spring. RHP/INF Connor Gehr (Meridian CC, 2024) is one of the top two-way players in the 2024 class in AL and is coming off a junior senior where he hit .462 in batting average and posted a 5-2 record with a 1.90 ERA and 80 K's on the mound. A returning 1st Team All-State player, Gehr looks poised to lead this team once again. SS/RHP Joseph Stephens (Coastal Alabama-South CC, 2024) brings back tons of varsity experience and has played in 86 career games for the Dolphins going into his senior season. The two-way prospect as 12 saves in his high school career and has swiped 40 stolen bases, as well. RHP/UTL Alex Rippy (2024) threw over 50 innings last year as a junior and accumulated a 3.51 ERA in the process and will be a big piece to their success, while INF/RHP Alex King (Lawson State CC, 2024) also had a strong year hitting .280 at the plate and posted a 2-2 record on the mound. RHP/OF Mac Anderson (Houston, 2024) may be the X-factor of this team, as he possesses a low-90's fastball and is as dominant as anyone when he is in the zone throwing strikes. OF/RHP Jackson Beck (2024) is another important piece for the Dolphins this spring, while RHP/UTL John Luke Stephens (2026) and C/OF Price Stephens (2026) look poised to step into bigger roles as underclassmen this season. UTL/RHP Judson Harris (2027) is a newcomer to the program who has a chance to make a huge impact at the plate and on the mound for the Dolphins. Harris, a top-5 prospect in the 2027 class in AL and prized quarterback recruit, has exciting tools across the board and can work in the mid-80's with his fastball. Looking at a few more players for the Dolphins, RHP/1B Hayden Brazil (2025), OF Nate Perez (2025), INF Tres Moore (2026), and UTL Jacob O'Bryan (2026) are looking to build off of their success last year and provide contributions this spring. 

The Gulf Shores Dolphins behind the 2024 season ranked at No. 6 in our preseason poll for Class 5A, and will look to creep their way up the rankings throughout the season and be playing their best baseball at the end of the year. They'll compete in Area 1 against B.C. Rain, Elberta, and Williamson for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Look for Gulf Shores to take another strong step forward in Class 5A in 2024.

Find more information on the 2024 Gulf Shores High School program below:

+ Follow them on X: @FinsBaseball
+ 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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