Alabama HS Team Preview: Jacksonville Golden Eagles

December 26, 2023
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: Jacksonville Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Jamison Edwards
Classification: AHSAA Class 4A
Area Number: Class 4A, Area 9
2023 Record (Finish): 12-15 (Eliminated in 1st Round)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: 2
Team Strengths: Solid Defensive Club, Returning Experience

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

C Gavin Peeler (2024; uncommitted)
1B Jackson Bonner (2025; uncommitted)
3B/RHP Ryan Mitchell (2024; uncommitted)
OF/RHP Will Greenwood (2024; uncommitted)

OF/RHP Will Greenwood (6/13/23)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2025

INF Drake Loggins (2025)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

SS Matt Salmon (2026)

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Jacksonville Golden Eagles have grown accustomed to finishing in the top two of their respective area and clinching a playoff berth in Class 4A, and will look to continue that trend heading into 2024. The Golden Eagles finished as the runner-up in their area last spring and were eliminated by West Limestone in the 1st round, but there's plenty of quality returners coming back from last year's team to inject optimism throughout the program for this spring.

Jacksonville played mutliple playoff teams last spring, including multiple teams from higher classifications, in hopes to prepare them for the playoffs. This year, they'll do the same and Coach Edwards will lean on some experienced upperclassmen to help lead the way. C Gavin Peeler (2024) should be at the forefront of this team and is coming off a really strong junior campaign in 2023. The right-handed hitting backstop is a solid defensive catcher and really delivered some key hits offensively en route to hitting .361 during the season. He is sure to be one of the unquestioned leaders for the Golden Eagles. Speaking of experience, 1B Jackson Bonner (2025) has been a mainstay over the past couple years for Jacksonville, as he returns to the position as a starter for the third-consecutive season. Bonner, like Peeler, drove in plenty of runs in the heart of the order last spring and led the team in RBIs while hitting .325. Two more important pieces that return for the Golden Eagles in 2024 are 3B/RHP Ryan Mitchell (2024) and OF/RHP Will Greenwood (2024), both of which will be looked upon for production both at the plate and on the mound. Mitchell and Greenwood both hit above the .300 mark offensively last spring and are going to see their roles expand on the mound. Greenwood should hit at the top of the order for Jacksonville, while Mitchell will be another middle-of-the-order hitter that returns for 2024.

While there are multiple returning pieces coming back for Jacksonville this spring, they will certainly look to some other players to step into larger roles for them to have the type of success they want to have. INF Drake Loggins (2025) looks to be back at full-strength after dealing with an injury as a sophomore last year, and SS Matt Salmon (2026) will be another quality infielder who is a strong competitor with a consistent glove and quality approach at the plate. The Golden Eagles shouldn't have much issue generating runs offensively this spring, but one unproven aspect of this club is their pitching, but there is plenty of potential with multiple pitchers looking to help lead the way on the mound. Returning to Class 4A, Area 9 with Anniston, Cleburne County, and White Plains, the Golden Eagles have high hopes of reaching the playoffs once again and making an even deeper run in 2024.

Find more information on the 2024 Jacksonville High School program below:

+ Follow them on X: @Jamison_Edwards
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2024 HS Team Previews

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