TN HS Team Preview: Jackson Christian Eagles
January 24, 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 Tennessee.
Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Murfreesboro at The Spring Fling 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 Tennessee. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing other pieces of content covering the Volunteer 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 Power 25 and much more.
*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: Jackson Christian School
Head Coach: Chase McLean
Classification: D2-A
District + Region Number: West Region
2023 Record (Finish): 22-10
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 9
No. of Returning Pitchers: 8
Team Strengths: Experience and Leadership. Our lineup is full of juniors and seniors that have mostly started since they were freshman. There is a big group of our upperclassmen that lead by example on and off the field.
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- SS/RHP Austin Kelley (2025)
- OF/RHP Easton Jones (2025)
- DH/RHP Carson Holt (2024)
- INF/RHP Zach Creasy (2025)
- OF/RHP Eli Terry (2025)
- OF/LHP JT Mullins (2025)
MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS
Class of 2025
- INF Reed Cooper (2025)
TEAM OUTLOOK
Jackson Christian School finished last season 22-10 advancing their way to regional play before losing to ECS. The Eagles however looked primed to build off of their previous success with a loaded roster comprised of mostly senior and junior players. Experience and leadership seems to be the ongoing theme for the 2024 Eagles with a majority of their position players starting since they were freshman. They will look to replace one of their aces from a season ago and starting catcher but do have adequate replacements that have shown promise and ability to fill those roles seamlessly. It all starts with junior SS/RHP Austin Kelly. He was a guy Coach McLean thought would blow up this summer on the travel ball circuit but fractured 8 bones in his face in the last game of the season and ended up missing his entire summer from that incident. He is a 6 foot 2 mid 80’s mph arm that has the ability to mix 3 pitches for strikes and carries confidence with him when competing. He also batted .315 with 24 RBI’s, 8 XBH’s and 8 SB. He comes back this season after making All-District and All-Region with a 7-1 record, 2.14 ERA and 44 K’s over 49 IP from a season ago. Junior OF/RHP Easton Jones has real potential to be a 5 tool guy as he ran a 6.65 sixty this summer with plus arm attributes. He led the team in hitting average with a .329 and stolen bases from a season ago with 20, while also finishing the year with a .508 OBP, 19 RBI’s and 30 runs scored to be nominated for All-District and All-Region as well. Senior RHP/DH Carson Holt is a physical prospect at 6 foot 2 and 210 pounds where he will sit mid to high 80’s mph on the mound. He got most of his opportunities last season in a relief type of role but is being ushered in as the #2 guy this year. He finished with a 5-3 record over 34.2 IP with 27 K’s and a 3.23 ERA. Junior IF/RHP Zach Creasy will be a major factor in the heart of the order where he provides ample power potential. He will lock in as their everyday 3rd baseman and will move over to shortstop when Austin Kelley takes the hill. He is someone that the coaching staff is high on as he is a good athlete with soft hands/clean footwork. He finished last year with a .308 average with 12 XBH, 23 RBI’s and 7 SB where he also was named All-District and All-Region. Junior OF/LHP JT Mullins should slide right back into CF where he covers quality ground and finds ways to get on base. He comes off a season that saw him hit .319 with a .439 OBP and 25 runs scored to an All-District nomination. Junior OF/RHP Eli Terry has added size and strength to his frame and should factor in somewhere between the 2-5 hole. He carried a .312 average from last season with a .536 OBP, 15 RBI’s, 19 runs scored and 8 SB with an All-District nomination. Rounding out their lineup will have Daniel Green who is a Chattanooga football signee and advanced physically at 6 foot 5 and 230 pounds. You then have junior Reed Cooper who should man 2nd and may be the best overall defender on this years’ squad. The Eagles come into this year with high hopes and set expectations with being an older group. They have plenty of experience of playing meaningful baseball games with talent at their disposal. Pitching and hitting both on paper look to be strong and could make a serious run in 2024. The talent level is pretty solid in the entire West Region for D2-1A. Look for them to once again lead their district where it will come down to matchups and pitching in regional play. Expect them to put a lot of the pieces together and get over the hump with Murfreesboro calling their name in late May.
Find more information on the 2024 Jackson Christian School program below:
+ Follow them on X: @JCS_Baseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Tennessee Team Previews Page
FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL TENNESSEE THROUGHOUT THE SPRING
+ Prep Baseball Tennessee on X
+ Prep Baseball Tennessee on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Tennessee on Facebook
