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Alabama HS Team Preview: Homewood Patriots

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: Homewood Patriots
Head Coach: Lee Hall
Classification: AHSAA Class 6A
Area Number: Class 6A, Area 9
2023 Record (Finish): 17-12 (Eliminated in 1st Round)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 5
Team Strengths: Senior Leadership, Returning Pitching, Talented Underclassmen

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

RHP/INF JB Sain (5/31/23)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2025

INF/RHP Will Dobbins (5/23/22)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

C Cooper Mullins (6/8/22)

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Homewood Patriots appear to be another team on the rise in a deep Class 6A field after reaching the playoffs last season and bringing back some notable returners and adding some talented underclassmen to the mix. Looking to have another strong season this spring, the Patriots are another team the Birmingham metro area to keep an eye on this year.

The Patriots, who finished as the runner-up in their area last season, traveled on the road in the 1st round of the Class 6A playoffs and matched up with a strong Hazel Green club. They were, however, eliminated in two games to close their season with a 17-12 record. Coach Hall & co. is very optimistic about this year's club, however, as they bring back some experienced upperclassmen on both sides of the ball who they will look to to provide leadership this season. RHP/INF JB Sain (2024) returns as a multi-year starter and is one of the main leaders of this team. He was sidelined for some of the season last year due to injury, but looks primed for a breakout season at the plate and on the mound this year. LHP Witt Brown (2024) is a crafty southpaw who is an excellent competitor and misses barrels by changing speeds and locating. OF/LHP Jeremiah Gary (Coastal Alabama-North CC, 2024) is a tremendous multi-sport star for the Patriots and is super athletic. The senior two-way is expected to have a huge senior season and will be look to be clicking on all cylinders in baseball shape once he returns from basketball. OF Jackson Warren (Birmingham Southern, 2024) is another big leader for this team and looks poised for a strong senior season after dealing with some injuries over the past couple of years, while OF James Lard (Sewanee, 2024) is another senior who looks back to full strength after dealing with an injury last year. SS/RHP Levi Nickoli (Auburn, 2026) is one of the top prospects in the 2026 class in AL and has served as the starting shortstop for the Patriots since his eighth-grade year. The sophomore, who also serves as their closer, has a very high ceiling and will be counted on tremendously this spring. INF/RHP Jack Ross (2025) is another elite-level two-way prospect that we thing is going to have a breakout junior campaign in 2024. The junior has impressive power from the right side of the plate and brings back plenty of experience on the mound. Some other players to watch for this spring are INF/RHP Will Dobbins (2025), C Cooper Mullins (2026), UTL Will Siegel (2026), RHP/UTL Cooper Sain (2026), and RHP/OF Jack Bland (2026). Mullins is an under-the-radar backstop in the 2026 class in AL, while Dobbins, Siegel, Sain, and Bland are sure to have important roles for the Patriots this spring.

The Patriots are hoping to be playing their best baseball at the end of the regular season when it counts, and they certainly look to have the talent to do so. They'll compete in Area 9 against Mountain Brook and Shades Valley for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Look for Homewood to have a chance to win their area and hopefully make a strong push for a deep playoff run in Class 6A in 2024.

Find more information on the 2024 Homewood program below:

+ Follow them on X: @HHSPatBaseball
+ 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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