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: Hueytown Golden Gophers
Head Coach: Billy Chandler
Classification: AHSAA Class 6A
Area Number: Class 6A, Area 8
2023 Record (Finish): 27-12 (Eliminated in Sweet Sixteen)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4
No. of Returning Pitchers: 2
Team Strengths: Defense, Hitting

 

---

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• C Jarret Kauhn (2025; uncommitted)
• OF OJ Sealie (2024; uncommitted)
• 1B/RHP Baker Davis (2025; uncommitted)
• UTL Myles Bradberry (2024; uncommitted)
• 3B Cole Payne (2024; uncommitted)
• RHP Tanner Vaughn (2024; uncommitted)

---

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2025

• RHP Braden McCrary (2025; uncommitted)
• INF/RHP Sam Vaughan (2025; uncommitted)

---

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

• INF Jose Irreaza (2026)
• RHP/3B Will Vaughan (2027)

---

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Hueytown Golden Gophers enter the 2024 season with optimism and high aspirations of making another deep playoff run in Class 6A, which is something they've grown accustomed to doing over the past few seasons. Although their are some holes to fill left by last year's graduating seniors, the Golden Gophers always seem to have the talent and should once again in this spring.

The Golden Gophers have really made a strong stretch of runs over the past few seasons, including winning over 25 games in their last three seasons and reaching the Sweet 16 in all of those years in the process. They should rely on some newer faces this spring, but Coach Chandler & co. always seem to field a competitive, talented team year in, and year out. The Golden Gophers should be a solid defensive team this spring, and should also feature a better lineup looking at it from top to bottom. C Jarret Kauhn (2025) started nearly every game behind the plate last season as a sophomore and is looking primed to have a breakout junior campaign as one of their more experienced players. The right-hander has good pop from the right side and should drive in a good amount of runs in the middle of their order. OF OJ Sealie (2024) is an all-fields hitter with decent speed from the right side of the plate who should play a large role offensively, while 1B/RHP Baker Davis (2025) is a two-way player who got some experience in the designated hitter role last season as a sophomore. Both of those players should contibute heavily, while UTL Myles Bradberry (2024) is a great teammate and plays the game hard. He's another returning upperclassmen who is a solid all-around player with good speed. 3B Cole Payne (2024) and RHP Tanner Vaughn (2024) are two more senior returners who are looking to have solid seasons, as Payne is a good defender with excellent plate discipline, while Vaughn is a strong option out of their bullpen with movement on all of his pitches. RHP Braden McCrary (2025) has plenty of upside on the both with a mid-80's fastball, and could have a breakout season after logging some meaningful innings on last year's pitching staff. INF/RHP Sam Vaughan (2025) missed the entire 2023 season due to an injury, but this staff thinks he's poised for a stellar junior season and already holds a couple JUCO offers. He should contribute both at the plate and on the mound for the Golden Gophers this spring. A couple of younger names to keep an eye out for this spring are INF Jose Irreaza (2026) and RHP/3B Will Vaughan (2027), both are looking to help out in any way as underclassmen this season. Irreaza is a strong defender, while Vaughan as a strong arm and could help out with depth on the mound this spring.

While there are some fresher faces who are going to be expected to step into larger roles this spring, the Golden Gophers always seem to figure it out each season and make deep playoffs runs in Class 6A. They'll compete in Area 8 against Bessemer City, Brookwood, and P.D. Jackson-Olin for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Hueytown is shaping up for a strong season once again, and look to be strong contenders in Class 6A in 2024.

---

Find more information on the 2024 Hueytown program below:

+ Follow them on X: @GoldenGopherBB
+ 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

 

---

Related Content