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MS HS Team Preview: Hartfield Academy Hawks

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: Hartfield Academy
Head Coach: Justin Smith
Classification: MAIS Class 6A
2023 Record (Finish): 24-10
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 8
Team Strengths: Pitching/Defense/Situational Defense/Offense

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

JP Abt (2025, Jacksonville State)

Taylor Latham (2026)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

Coleman Yoder (2026)

TEAM OUTLOOK

Hartfield Academy returns 5 positional starters and 8 arms from a squad that finished 24-10 after a MAIS 6A playoff loss to Madison Ridgeland Academy. Head Coach Justin Smith believes his Hawks will be well rounded both offensively and defensively in 2024. 

Top returners for the Hawks include seniors Cole Stumph (LHP - Hinds CC recruit), Sam Stumph (RHP - Hinds CC recruit), and Reid Gaston (LHP/1B - Hinds CC recruit), juniors Brady Griffin (LHP/OF/1B - Hinds CC recruit) and Wiggy Ball (LHP/OF - Meridian CC recruit), along with sophomore Taylor Latham (RHP/OF). 

Former Junior Future Gamer Brady Griffin was solid at the plate in 2023, hitting .415 with 2 home runs while driving in 29 runs. He, along with Wiggy Ball (.378) will look to provide a spark to the Hawk offense this spring. On the mound Coach Smith will have plenty of options to call on which include Ball (2.94 ERA last season), Sam Stumph (3.67 ERA), Cole Stumph (3.70 ERA, 70 K’s), Reid Gaston, and another former Junior Future Gamer Taylor Latham. 

Other players expected to contribute include senior transfer Payne Jefcoat (1B - Wallace CC recruit), junior transfer JP Abt (INF - Jacksonville State recruit), juniors Graham Jackson (UT), Sam Sheffield (CF), and Woods Robertson (RHP), along with sophomores Coleman Yoder (Catcher), Henry Abt (OF), and freshman Seth Dyess (RHP)

Hartfield Academy will begin regular season play on February 16th versus Warren Central. 

Find more information on the 2024 Hartfield Academy program below:

+ Follow them on X: @HA_Hawks_BSB
+ 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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