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MS HS Team Preview: Vancleave Bulldogs

December 29, 2023
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: Vancleave High School
Head Coach: Justin Edwards
Classification: MHSAA 5A
District Number: 5A, Region 4
2023 Record (Finish): 24-13
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 9
No. of Returning Pitchers: 6
Team Strengths: Experience, Dynamic

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

  • OF/P Wyatt Adams (2026)
  • 1B/P Conner Mitchell (2026)
  • OF Cam Sherrod (2027)
  • OF/P Reece Thomason (2027)
  • OF/P Devyn Knight (2027)

TEAM OUTLOOK

2024 could be a very exciting year for the Vancleave Bulldogs as they return 9 positional starters and 6 pitchers from a squad that finished 24-13 after a 3rd round playoff loss to West Jones. Coach Justin Edwards feels that experience along with some power bats and several quality arms should give his Bulldogs a serious chance at a very deep playoff run.

Top returners for the Bulldogs include seniors Asher Henley (INF), Hunter Parker (SS/RHP), Tyler West (3B/1B/RHP), Layton Eder (Catcher), Robert Tinson (OF), Tanner Willis (OF/P), and Levi Tapp (OF/P), juniors Martin Shaw (OF), Hunter Harper (1B/P), Aidan Tapp (MI), Carter Doze (OF/P), and sophomore Dane McElroy (SS/P).

The Bulldog offense was very spread out last season with Asher Henley leading the team with a .317 average after picking up 40 hits. Tyler West added 23 runs batted in which was tops on the team, while Hunter Parker slugged 10 doubles and drove in 21 runners himself. Layton Eder hopes to add to his team leading 3 home runs from the 2023 season.

Vancleave used a 3 headed monster on the mound with Hunter Harper, Hunter Parker, and Tyler West all racking up over 60 innings on the mound and totaling 21 of the teams 24 wins. Parker finished the season with 7 wins, a 1.32 ERA while striking out 95 opposing hitters and walking just 17 in 74 innings. Harper led the group with 8 wins to go along with a 2.22 ERA, with West adding 6 more wins to go with his 2.13 ERA. The other 3 wins came from Levi Tapp who sported a 0.90 ERA in just over 30 innings.

Coach Edwards also hopes to get some production out of some underclassmen that includes sophomores Wyatt Adams (OF/P), Conner Mitchell (1B/P), freshmen Cam Sherrod (OF), Reece Thomason (OF/P), and Devyn Knight (OF/P).

The Bulldogs begin regular season play on February 16th versus Harrison Central.

  

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