Alabama HS Team Preview: Hamilton Aggies
February 2, 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: Hamilton Aggies
Head Coach: Trent Williams
Classification: AHSAA Class 4A
Area Number: Class 4A, Area 15
2023 Record (Finish): 13-19 (No Postseason)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: 2
Team Strengths: Team Speed, Defense
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- RHP/3B Payton Purser (2024; uncommitted)
- RHP/UTL Mason Holloway (2027)
- INF/RHP Houston Tibbs (2027)
- C Dalton Davis (2024; uncommitted)
- OF Cannon Spiller (2024; uncommitted)
RHP/3B Payton Purser (1/7/23)
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
- OF/LHP Coley Gilstrap (2027)
- UTL/RHP Tripp Summers (2027)
- UTL/RHP Jackson Chandler (2027)
TEAM OUTLOOK
The Hamilton Aggies enter the 2024 season with aspirations of having another strong season inside Class 4A with a healthy amount of returners back, especially on the offensive side of the ball. They seem to have a solid mix of returning upperclassmen and underclassmen, which should only benefit this year's team with those players ready to take the next step.
Finishing the season below .500 in 2023, the Aggies may not have had the type of success they wanted after losing a couple of key players to injury during the season, but that should only add fuel to the fire this spring. They will feature several players who play mutliple sports throughout the calendar year, which should only benefit their club this spring. They also feel like they have a tough team with good overall athleticism, as well. After a breakout season during his sophomore campaign, RHP/3B Payton Purser (2024) should be back to full strength sooner rather than later after missing the majority of last season due to an injury. Once he's fully back, he will be a big boost to this team at the plate and on the mound, as he's started since his freshman season for the Aggies and carries a batting average of .351 to the middle of their lineup. He should also be their ace on the mound with tons of varsity innings under his belt over the years. RHP/UTL Mason Holloway (2027) is another mutli-year starter and a phenomenal athlete with great speed who has hit over .350 in batting average. He has a chance to play multiple positions defensively, and returns the most innings on the mound from last season. INF/RHP Houston Tibbs (2027) is another returner who was thrusted into the lineup as an eighth-grader and started every game for the Aggies. Now with a year under his belt, he's expected to only to continue to improve this spring and providen valuable contributions on both sides of the ball. C Dalton Davis (2024) and OF Cannon Spiller (2024) are a pair of senior returners who had good moments throughout the spring last season. Davis caught nearly every game behind the plate last spring, while Spiller is a great baserunner that covers tons of ground in the outfield and should only continue to improve this spring. A few other names to watch for this spring are OF Coley Gilstrap (2027), UTL/RHP Tripp Summers (2027), and UTL/RHP Jackson Chandler (2027), all of which are freshman who are looking to make an impact at the varsity level both at the plate and on the mound this spring.
There's plenty of reason for optimism this spring for the Aggies, especially getting Purser back from injury at some point this season. They'll compete in Area 15 against Central-Florence, Deshler, and Wilson for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Look for Hamilton to get back to form this spring and compete for a playoff spot in Class 4A in 2024.
Find more information on the 2024 Hamilton High School program below:
+ Follow them on X: @HamiltonAggie
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2024 HS Team Previews
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+ Prep Baseball Alabama on X
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Facebook
