Prep Baseball Report

Preseason Preview: Ocala Forest HS



By Rob Sidwell
Florida Scouting Director

The Florida high school season kicks off on February 9, the first day for regular season games. Most teams will begin practicing on January 19, getting their rosters set and finalizing their lineups. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we will be rolling out team previews of high school teams all across the state and across all classifications.

We have been sending out our annual Preseason Questionnaire to coaches all across the state and as the responses flood in we will bring you a snapshot of what to expect along with top players and keys to success for that particular team.

ocala Forest High School

2014 Record: 19-5
Conference: District 6
FHSAA Classification: 6A
Head Coach: Jed Yancey

Returning Starters: 7
Returning Pitchers: 5

TOP PLAYERS

Kirby McMullen, OF/P, 2016 (University of Florida)
Hagen Samson, 3B, 2016
David Stromwall, C/P/UTIL, 2016
Phillip Felicien, 1B, 2016
Riley Ferrer, SS/2B, 2016
Jacob Landry, OF/P, 2016
Hunter McMullen, P, 2017

OUTLOOK

Forest high school is coming off of a 19-5 record from the 2014 season and a regular season championship only to fall short in their playoff run. Coach Yancey really likes this group of kids because of their team chemistry and high baseball IQ. Coach believes his 2015 squad will be strong on the mound with five returning pitchers that throw an awful lot of strikes, including Florida commit Kirby McMullen who is a 2016 RHP. He also likes his middle of the order bats and believes he will score some runs this year. That will make up for his teams’ lack of speed. With the number of experienced players returning, Forest looks to make another run at a 2015 conference championship.

If you are a high school coach and have yet to send in your Preseason Questionnaire please fill one out HERE.

Related Topics