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MS HS Team Preview: Houston Hilltoppers

February 14, 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: Houston High School
Head Coach: Gary-Scott Gabbert
Classification: MHSAA 4A
2023 Record (Finish): 3-19
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: Experience and positional depth. Have been very competitive last year against a difficult schedule and division.

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

     

    TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

    • OF/LHP JJ McCoy (2026)
    • INF/OF Cayden Box (2027)
    • UTL Braylin Rogers (2027)

    TEAM OUTLOOK

    Houston returns 7 positional starters and 3 pitchers from a roster that finished 3-19 last season while missing the 4A state playoffs. Head Coach Gary-Scott Gabbard will look to experience and overall positional depth as keys to the Hilltoppers hopes to be even more competitive in 2024. 

    Top players for Houston includes seniors Steele Brooks (RHP/3B - Northeast MS CC recruit) and Jonathan Childress (LHP/1B), juniors Cason Moss (INF), Rob Hancock (C/RHP), Cameron Kilgore (OF), Adam Smith (SS/RHP), and Koda Harrell (UT/RHP), along with sophomore Walker Burdine (C/INF). 

    Steele Brooks had a solid year on the mound for the Hilltoppers and will look to repeat his performance in 2024 which included a 3.82 ERA with 93 strikeouts in just 47 innings. 

    Other players looking to step up will be sophomore JJ McCoy (OF/LHP) along with freshmen Cayden Box (INF/OF) and Braylin Rogers (UT).

    The Hilltoppers began regular season play February 13th versus East Webster. 

     

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