MS HS Team Preview: Sacred Heart Crusaders

February 10, 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: Sacred Heart Crusaders
Head Coach: Larry Watkins
Classification: MHSAA 1A
District Number: 1A, District 8
2023 Record (Finish): 13-13
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 8
No. of Returning Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: Experience.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

UTL/P Gabriel Pipkins (2025)
CINF/P Khai Welch (2025)
OF/P Jackson Gamber (2025)
OF/C Levi Green (2026)

Levi Green (2026)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

SS/P Kyron Murphy (2025)
C/UTL Darren Brown (2025)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

1B/P Braylon Graham (2027)
1B/P Jameson Phillips (2027)

TEAM OUTLOOK

Sacred Heart returns 8 positional starters and 3 arms from a 2023 roster that finished 13-13 after a first round loss to Lake in the 2A state playoffs. Head Coach Larry Watkins has a more experienced group this season which could allow the Crusaders a chance at a deeper playoff run in 2024.

Top returners for Sacred Heart will be juniors Gabriel Pipkins (2B/OF/RHP), Khai Welch (CI/RHP), and Jackson Gamber (OF/LHP), along with sophomore Levi Green (OF/C).

Pipkins was huge on offense a year ago, hitting .400 with 10 doubles while driving in 34 runs. He along with Welch (.311), Gamber (.293), and Green will look to provide plenty of production throughout the spring. Welch, Gamer, and Pipkins will also be key arms in holding opposing offenses at bay.

Other Crusaders looking to make an impact include junior Kyron Murphy (SS/RHP) and Darren Brown (C/UT), along with freshmen Braylon Graham (1B/RHP) and Jameson Phillips (1B/RHP).

Sacred Heart begins regular season play on February 13th versus Richton.

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