MS HS Team Preview: Newton County Cougars
February 6, 2024
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: Newton County High School
Head Coach: Jordan Smith
Classification: MHSAA 4A
District Number: 4A, District 4
2023 Record (Finish): 19-14
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 8
No. of Returning Pitchers: 8
Team Strengths: Pitching and Defense
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- LHP/OF Cooper Lewis (2024, Southwest MS CC)
- RHP/1B Dalton Graham (2024, Pearl River CC)
- C/RHP Hayden Amis (2026)
- SS/RHP Vance Richardson (2025)
- CF Cooper Johnson (2025)
- RHP Trent Renfrow (2024)
- RHP Ethan Burton (2025)
MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS
Class of 2024
- LHP/OF Dominic Bell (2024)
Class of 2025
- 2B Camden Thoms (2025)
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
INF/RHP Landry Tolbird (2026)
TEAM OUTLOOK
Newton County returns 8 positional starters and 8 pitchers from a squad that ended 2023 with a 19-14 record after a 3rd round loss to Sumrall in the 4A state playoffs. Head Coach Jordan Smith believes the key to a successful 2024 for his Cougars will come down to overall pitching and defense.
Top returners for Newton County are seniors Cooper Lewis (LHP/OF - Southwest MS CC recruit), Dalton Graham (RHP/1B - Pearl River CC recruit), Trent Renfrow (RHP - East Central CC recruit), juniors Vance Richardson (SS/RHP), Cooper Johnson (CF), and Ethan Burton (RHP), along with sophomore Hayden Amis (C/RHP).
The Cougar offense will be led by Cooper Lewis (.364), Hayden Amis (.383, 10 doubles), Vance Richardson (.324, 15 stolen bases), and Cooper Johnson (.304, 14 stolen bases). Dalton Graham (2.60 ERA and 51 strikeouts) will look to lead a solid pitching staff with help from Trent Renfrow (2.00 ERA, 50 K’s) and Ethan Burton (2.70 ERA, 58 K’s).
Coach Smith will also look for help from senior Dominic Bell (LHP/OF), junior Camden Thoms (2B), and sophomore Landry Tolbird (INF/RHP).
Newton County begins regular season play on February 13th versus Neshoba Central.
Find more information on the 2024 Newton County Cougars program below:
+ Follow them on X: @NC_BSB
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Mississippi, 2024 HS Team Previews
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