NC High School Preview: Hough
February 11, 2017
By Brandon Hall, Ed Hall, and Staff
PBR NC
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With the 2017 spring season right around the corner, PBR North Carolina is anticipating a great spring. This is the first year of coverage for PBR during the high school season. In the coming weeks and months, PBR will report on games, players, conference races and the state tournament. It is the aim of PBR North Carolina to become your #1 source for high school baseball.
PBR worked to reach out to every team in the state. A full team preview will be released on every team that filled out the preseason questionnaire sent by PBR. If you are a coach and haven't filled out your 2017 Team Preview – CLICK HERE
Interested in attending a PBR North Carolina event? Check out our schedule by CLICKING HERE. Check back frequently as events will be added throughout the year.
Team Preview
Hough
Coach Jimmy Cochran
Classification 4A
Conference Name MeCKa 4A
2016 Stats
Record 23-6
Conference Finish 1st
State Playoffs 2nd Round
2017 Outlook
# of Returning Starters 5
# of Returning Pitchers 3
What to Watch For:
Not many teams across the state, or country, could lose a LHP committed to an SEC program in January (Cole Maye to Florida as a mid-semester enrollee) and still hope to compete for a state title. Coach Cochran’s Huskies could be an exception as there is plenty of depth on the mound. The team defense will need to solidify throughout the year, as the MIF from 2016 needs to be replaced.
The Huskies will be representing North Carolina at the National High School Invitational tournament, run by USA Baseball, in Cary, March 29 – April 1.
Players to Watch
Nicholas Swiney, LHP, 2017 – NC State commit
Bailey Dees, RHP, 2017 – Penn State commit
Hunter Baker, OF, 2017 – NC State commit
Carter Williams, MIF, 2017 – Presbyterian commit
Zac Linker, MIF, 2018
Justin Wilkins, C, 2018
JD Brock, LHP/OF, 2019 – Clemson commit
Jake Whitman, LHP, 2019
Cade McGahan, RHP, 2019