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MS HS Team Preview: Forest Bearcats

February 7, 2024
Matt Miller
State 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 Mississippi.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Pearl, MS at Trustmark Park as they compete for a state championship, 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 Mississippi. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing other pieces of content covering the Magnolia State.

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 in each MHSAA classification as well as a Power 25.

*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: Forest High School
Head Coach: Adam Tumey
Classification: MHSAA Class 4A
District Number: 4A, District 5
2023 Record (Finish): 15-18
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4
Team Strengths: Experience and Aggressiveness

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

  • SS/P Kolten Durkes (2024)
  • OF/C/P Avery Bufkin (2024)
  • 1B/P Cade Tillman (2024)
  • INF/C/P Reagan Tadlock (2025)
  • UTL/P Ty Chambers (2025)
  • OF/1B/P Martin Wences Jr. (2025)

Reagan Tadlock (2025)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2025

  • OF/2B Anias Patterson (2025)

TEAM OUTLOOK

Forest returns 7 positional starters and 4 arms from a roster that finished 15-18 last season after a second round series loss to Seminary in the 3A state playoffs. Head Coach Adam Tumey is excited about his teams aggressive play and believes that aggression coupled with overall experience will allow the Bearcats to be competitive this season.

Key returners for Forest include seniors Kolten Durkes (SS/RHP), Avery Bufkin (OF/C/RHP), Cade Tillman (1B/RHP), and Martin Wences Jr. (OF/1B/LHP), along with juniors Reagan Tadlock (INF/C/RHP), Ty Chambers (OF/INF/RHP) and Anias Patterson (OF/2B). 

Kolten Durkes led the Bearcat offense in hitting a year ago with a .347 average while scoring 42 runs on 9 doubles and 27 runs batted in. Avery Bufkin had a solid year as well hitting .272 with 23 RBI’s. Reagan Tadlock leads all returning pitchers in innings with 52 and should be a go to arm this spring with help from Durkes and Cade Tillman.

Forest begins regular season play on February 13th versus Pisgah.  

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

+ Follow them on X: @ForestBaseball1
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Mississippi, 2024 HS Team Previews

 

FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL MISSISSIPPI THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball Mississippi on X
+ Prep Baseball Mississippi on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Mississippi on Facebook

 

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