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Alabama HS Team Preview: James Clemens Jets

February 15, 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: James Clemens High School
Head Coach: Johnny Johnson
Classification: AHSAA Class 7A
Area Number: Class 7A, Area 8
2023 Record (Finish): 28-14 (Eliminated in Sweet Sixteen)
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4
No. of Returning Pitchers: 5
Team Strengths: Large Senior Class, Experience

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

RHP/1B Luke Davenport (3/17/23)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2024

OF David Sharp (5/21/21)

Class of 2025

INF/RHP Noah Jarrell (6/6/23)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

RHP Will Votroubek (6/6/23)

TEAM OUTLOOK

The James Clemens Jets enter the 2024 season looking to reach the playoffs in Class 7A once again this season, as they've continued to make steady improvements over the course of the last few seasons. They bring back a very strong senior class this season and hopes those players can lead this team to a deep playoff run in 2024.

The Jets have become a stable inside the Class 7A playoffs over the past few seasons, as they finished as the runner-up in their area and reached the Sweet 16 in 2023. This season, expectations continue to rise as they hope to be one of the teams in a talented Class 7A to be making a strong push for a deep playoff run. They look to have the talent and depth on paper to do so with some familiar contributors from past seasons back on this year's roster. Most of these players have grown up playing together and hope to go out with a strong season, especially the senior class. OF Carson Loosier (2024) missed much of his junior season, came back and hit .353 in a small sample size. He's a tough out at the plate with good speed and will look to help lead the way offensively, as will 1B/LHP Satchel Wheeler (Snead State CC, 2024), INF Francisco Ramirez (2024), and 3B/RHP Ty Marsh (2025), who are notable returners from last season. Wheeler is a talented left-handed bat and two-way player, while Ramirez has good speed and Marsh is coming off a sophmore season where he lead the team in batting average at .372. Returning on the mound, RHP Cade McComb (2024), RHP Mason Busch (Snead State CC, 2024), and RHP/1B Luke Davenport (Auburn, 2024) should throw some significant innings on the mound. McComb is healthy now after missing some of last year and has a big improvements during the fall, while Busch posted 1.82 ERA in 54 IP as a junior. Davenport is one of the top right-handed pitchers in Alabama using some electric stuff and posted an 8-3 record with a 1.07 ERA and accumulated 101 K's in 58.2 IP. C JT Johnson (Snead State CC, 2024) has dealt with some nagging injuries over the past few seasons, but looks primed for a breakout season now taking over the catching duties behind the plate. OF David Sharp (2024) and OF/RHP Hayden Markfort (2024) should both be X-factors for this team and see significant playing time in the outfield, while INF/RHP Noah Jarrell (2025), 1B Trip Morgan (2025), and RHP Cody Hodges (2025) are a trio of juniors with a chance to make an impact in a variety of ways this spring. Taking a look at some underclassmen, OF/LHP Tyler Lewis (2026), RHP Will Votroubek (2026), INF/RHP Matthew Drinkwater (2026), and INF/RHP Jesse Isensee (2026) are sophomores who should compete for roles this season, while C/INF Hudson Smith (2027) and OF/RHP Will Congo (2027) are freshman who will be big factors for the Jets in the years to come.

The Jets appear to have the pieces to have another strong season in Class 7A this year, and will look to be playing their best baseball at the end of the season when it counts. They'll compete in Area 8 against Austin, Bob Jones, and Florence for a berth in the playoffs at the end of the regular season. James Clemens starts off the season at No. 9 in the preseason poll, and will look to climb the rankings throughout the season in Class 7A in 2024.

Find more information on the 2024 James Clemens High School program below:

+ Follow them on X: @JCJetsBaseball
+ 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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