The 2024 Texas high school baseball season is quickly approaching and, as usual, excitement is abound 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 Texas.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Austin at the UIL State Tournament in June, 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 Texas. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 30 rankings that’ll carry us into the opening week of action.

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 and updating the Power 30 rankings.

Our 2024 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Alvin Yellowjackets
Head Coach: Kelly Kerlin
UIL Classification: UIL Class 6A (District 23)
Team Strengths: Pitching
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 15-16-1 (6A Bi-District Finalists)
Key Players Lost: Easton Winfield, Boston Lee, Jack Marek, Julian Cantu, Jayden Rodriguez, Anthony Graham

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ LHP Cooper Williams (2024; Texas A&M) - District Co-Most Valuable Player in 2023

*2024 Cooper Williams*

+ INF Ryan Partida (2024; UTSA)
+ C Grady Tinker (2024; uncommitted)
+ RHP/UTL Zane Bailey (2025; uncommitted)
+ INF Peyton Kitchens (2025; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023

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TOP NEWCOMERS

+ INF Ethan Tyler (2025; uncommitted)
+ INF/OF Aiden Zamora (2025; uncommitted)
+ LHP Emmanuel Maldonado (2025; uncommitted)
+ C/1B Caden Burgess (2025; uncommitted)
+ UTL Bane Watson (2025; uncommitted)
+ C Wyatt Powell (2026)
+ UTL Grant Jackson (2026)

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FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW

+ INF/RHP Grayson Marek (2027)
+ INF Easton Burgess (2027)
+ INF Kealan Gonzalez (2027)
+ INF Luke Barber (2027)
+ INF/OF Konnor Click (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Alvin Yellowjackets and Coach Kelly Kerlin will look to rebound in 2024 after a first round exit in the 6A playoffs last season. The Yellowjackets will bring back five key returners from last season, as well as bring in seven newcomers expected to make big varsity impacts this season.

Pitching looks to be the strength of this year’s Yellowjackets team and you don’t have to look very hard to see why. Alvin’s pitching staff will be led by Texas A&M signee, LHP Cooper Williams (2024). Williams was the District’s Co-MVP last season and will be the x-factor for the Yellowjackets this season. Williams is a long-limbed southpaw that runs his fastball routinely in the low 90’s, and is currently ranked No. 2 in the state and No. 19 nationally entering his senior campaign.

Also on the pitching side is returning RHP/UTL Zane Bailey (2025; uncommitted), who will look to be one of the leaders of the expanding Yellowjackets junior class starting in 2024. A junior newcomer that will be joining Bailey on the bump this season is expected to be LHP Emmanuel Maldonado (uncommitted).

The Yellowjackets have a lot of intriguing pieces elsewhere on the diamond as well. Headlining the position players for Alvin this season will be INF Ryan Partida (2024; UTSA) and INF Peyton Kitchens (2025; uncommitted). Partida is currently ranked No. 169 in the state and Kitchens was First Team All-District last season. Also among the senior returners for the Yellowjackets is the aforementioned Williams’ battery mate, C Grady Tinker (2024; uncommitted).

Four juniors will join the varsity squad for Alvin this year and should contribute early in INF Ethan Tyler (uncommitted), INF/OF Aiden Zamora (uncommitted), C/1B Caden Burgess (uncommitted), and UTL Bane Watson (uncommitted). Look for a pair of sophomores to also impact the varsity squad in 2024 in C Wyatt Powell and UTL Grant Jackson.

The Yellowjackets have five freshmen to keep an eye on for future years as they begin their high school careers this spring in INF/RHP Grayson Marek, INF Easton Burgess, INF Kealan Gonzalez, INF Luke Barber, and INF/OF Konnor Click.

There is a lot to like with this 2024 Alvin Yellowjackets team when you factor in their returning talent, as well as the amount of pieces they are bringing in. Alvin looks poised for another 6A playoff berth in 2024.

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Find more information on the 2024 Alvin Yellowjackets program below:

+ <<2024 Schedule>>
+ Follow Alvin on X: @ahsbaseball
+ Prep Baseball Texas, Power 30 Homepage

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