MS HS Team Preview: Hernando Tigers

February 8, 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: Hernando High School
Head Coach: Taylor Karr
Classification: MHSAA 7A
District Number: 7A, District 1
2023 Record (Finish): 24-6
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 9
No. of Returning Pitchers: 10
Team Strengths: Pitching, returning offense.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

RHP Thomas Mitchell (2024, Ole Miss)
1B/P Luke Romine (2025, Ole Miss)
C Hallas Lawson (2024, Northwest MS CC)
3B/P Topher Jones (2025, Mississippi State)

Thomas Mitchell (2024, Ole Miss)

Luke Romine (2025, Ole Miss)

Hallas Lawson (2024, NWCC)

Topher Jones (2025, Mississippi State)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2024

OF/LHP Meyer Maddox (2024, Northwest MS CC)
OF/RHP Tyler Sullivan (2024, Northwest MS CC)
OF/RHP Brody Martin (2024)

Meyer Maddox (2024, NWCC)

Class of 2025

INF Josh Pena (2025)
UTL/RHP Preston Johnson (2025)
UTL/RHP Connor Young (2025)
1B/RHP Landon Holmes (2025)
C/SS Ethan Barnes (2025)

Ethan Barnes (2025)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

OF Donavan Dickson (2027)
INF/RHP Brannan Overstreet (2027)
UTL Eli Bagley (2027)
C Blake Lipe (2027)
INF/RHP Brannon Kirkpatrick (2026)
1B/RHP Cade Koczka (2026)

Donavan Dickson (2027)

Brannan Overstreet (2027)

Eli Bagley (2027)

TEAM OUTLOOK

Hernando returns 9 positional starters and 10 pitchers from a squad that finished 24-6 in 2023 after a second round loss to Desoto Central in the 6A state playoffs. Head Coach Taylor Karr can’t help but be excited about the possibilities in 2024 with so much of his production still in the dugout.

Top returners for the Tigers includes seniors Topher Jones (3B/RHP - former Future Gamer, Mississippi State recruit), Hallas Lawson (Catcher - former Future Gamer, Northwest MS CC recruit), Thomas Mitchell (RHP - former Future Gamer, Ole Miss recruit), and junior Luke Romine (1B/LHP - former Future Gamer, Ole Miss recruit).

Hallas Lawson was a huge contributor to the Tiger offense in 2024, hitting .458 with 2 home runs, 11 doubles, and 39 runs batted in. Lawson will be asked to repeat that production but should get plenty of help from sluggers Topher Jones (.368, 5 HR, 222 RBI’s) and Luke Romine, who missed most of last year due to injury. Romine hit .509 with 8 HR and 42 RBI’s as a freshman in 2022. Thomas Mitchell, who struck out 35 hitters in just 19 innings will be expected to step up and lead the pitching staff and the big righty has the stuff to do so.

Other players Coach Karr will be counting on are seniors Meyer Maddox (OF/LHP - Northwest MS CC recruit), Tyler Sullivan (OF/RHP - Northwest MS CC recruit), Brody Martin (OF/RHP), juniors Josh Pena (INF), Preston Johnson (UT/RHP), Connor Young (UT/RHP), Landon Holmes (1B/RHP), and Ethan Barnes (C/SS - former Future Gamer).

Underclassmen looking to make their mark include sophomores Cade Koczka (1B/RHP) and Brannon Kirkpatrick (INF/RHP), along with freshmen Donovan Dickson (OF - former Junior Future Gamer), Brannon Overstreet (INF/RHP - former Junior Future Gamer), Eli Bagley (UT/RHP - former Junior Future Gamer), and Blake Lipe (Catcher - former Junior Future Gamer).

Hernando will begin regular season play on February 13th versus Lee Academy.

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

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

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