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TN HS Team Preview: Middle Tennessee Christian Cougars

February 28, 2024
Hunter Martin
TN Scouting 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 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: Middle Tennessee Christian School (MTCS)
Head Coach: Jamie Carver
Classification: D2-A
District + Region Number: District 3 + Middle Region
2023 Record (Finish): 24-13
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 8
No. of Returning Pitchers: 8
Team Strengths: Pitching & Returning Experience

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

Brooks Jones (2024, FHU)

Cason Hill (2025, Samford)

England Bryan (2024, Vanderbilt)

MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2025

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

TEAM OUTLOOK

Head Coach Jamie Carver has extremely high expectations for the Cougars this season with a plethora of talented players returning all over the field, while also having numerous underclassmen set to make consistent contributions. This team is loaded with D1 and college talent all over the field and look to be strong on the mound and at the plate. MTCS returns a total of 7 starting position players to go alongside 7 returning arms with valuable innings under their belt. They are led by Vanderbilt signee England Bryan who is in line to be this year's ace, while also being their steady backstop behind the plate when not pitching. The profile is legit with FB’s that have climbed into the mid 90’s already. He returns as an All-District team participant where he went 4-3 with 40 IP to a 3.32 ERA while racking up 55 K’s. Senior shortstop and Freed-Hardeman signee was the 2023 District Offensive Player of the Year where he hit .389 with 9 2B’s, 5 HR’s, 20 RBI’s and 40 runs scored. He also logged 10 IP with 4 saves and looks to expand on that role this season. Senior left-fielder and Southwest Tennessee Community College signee Tyler Casserly was another All-District Team participant where he hit .364 with 6 2B’s, 29 runs scored and 11 stolen bases. He also would go 2-2 on the mound with 23 IP with 27 K’s. CF/RHP and Freed-Hardeman signee Tyler Wilson, who is recovering from surgery was the 2023 District Pitcher of the Year and is set to make his return sometime in the middle part of the season. He logged 48.2 IP with a 2.15 ERA and 68 K’s. The Cougars will be relying on some gunner, albeit talented ones in Cayden King and TJ Finley to fill some roles. King looks to have 1B locked down where he hit .320 as a freshman with 5 2B’s and 16 RBI’s. He also offers a lot of projection on the mound where he went 5-1 with 24 IP with a 2.91 ERA and 41 K’s against 4 BB’s. The Cougars did suffer a large blow when junior OF/RHP and Samford commit Cason Hill tore his ACL this past winter and will be out for the season. He was going to a focal point in the lineup and on the mound. Replacing Hill will be tough as he batted .364 with 5 HR’s and 6 2B’s, but with a deep squad of talented kids, the Cougars still should be talented enough to hold their own throughout the season. Eric Bowling and Yates Geren will assume larger roles within the offense with ’25 Drew Massengale looking to expand his role as a plug-in-play utility man, while gardening more innings on the mound. ‘25 Owen White will also be a larger focus in the middle part of the lineup where he brings some present juice at the plate and looks to man the hot corner. Injuries have already plagued this year’s team but with high-end pitching and enough meat in the lineup, look for the Cougars to not miss a step. If their pitching can go deep into games, they should be in line to win a lot of games this season. Columbia Academy and Grace Christian look to be major factors in the region as well and this district is setting up to be a gauntlet but with enough returning experience, the expectations are firmly set to improve on a region finish from a season ago.

Find more information on the 2024 Middle Tennessee Christian School (MTCS) program below:

+ Follow them on X: @mtcsbaseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Tennessee Team Previews Page

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+ Prep Baseball Tennessee on X
+ Prep Baseball Tennessee on Instagram
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