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: Frisco Lone Star Rangers
Head Coach: Joey Franke
UIL Classification: UIL Class 5A (District 9)
Team Strengths: Pitching & Offensive Versatility
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 23-12-1 (5A Area Finalists)
Key Players Lost: Bennett Fryman (Arizona State), Chase Womack (Baylor), McCann Libby (Navarro), Gabriel Barrientes

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ C/RHP Drew Bufford (2024; Eastern Arizona) - Second Team All-District
+ LHP Michael Kress (2024; South Arkansas CC)
+ INF Collin Blackstock (2024; uncommitted) - Second Team All-District
+ UTL Giovanni Oliveri (2024; uncommitted)
+ OF/RHP Anthony Seguin (2024; uncommitted)
+ CIF/RHP Ryan Zangri (2024; uncommitted)
+ INF/UTL James Dagenhart (2025; uncommitted)
+ RHP/CIF Houston Farrar (2025; uncommitted)
+ C/CIF Josh Villa (2025; uncommitted) - First Team All-District

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TOP NEWCOMERS

+ LHP/OF Dominik Martinez (2026)
+ C/INF Jackson Greenway (2026)

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FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW

+ C/INF Brayden Harlan (2027)
+ INF/RHP John Madden (2027)
+ UTL/RHP Cross Rodriguez (2027)
+ CIF/OF Jose Robles (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Returning a wealth of pitching depth in 2024, the Frisco Lone Star Rangers look to be 5A contenders once again heading into the spring. Coach Joey Franke’s squad should also have some offensive versatility to it with the lineup potentially scoring runs in many different ways this year.

The Rangers’ senior class possesses two college signees, two All-District players from 2023, and many different pieces that should contribute this season. Headlining the group is C/RHP Drew Bufford (2024; Eastern Arizona). Bufford is a two-way player for the Rangers and was voted Second Team All-District last season on the mound. Joining him on the mound is SouthArk CC signee LHP Michael Kress (2024), and should give the Rangers a stout one-two punch on the pitching side. Some other seniors that the Rangers will deploy on the mound include RHP/UTL Gage Gatton (uncommitted), RHP Calvin Johnson (uncommitted), and RHP/INF Henry McCuiston (uncommitted). On the infield, Lone Star returns INF Collin Blackstock (2024; uncommitted), who was another Second Team All-District player in 2023. Some other seniors who could contribute on the infield this season are CIF/RHP Ryan Zangri (uncommitted), CIF Bryan Nazario (uncommitted), and INF Kane Knutson (uncommitted). Elsewhere in the senior class, the Rangers will bring back key returners UTL Giovanni Oliveri (uncommitted) and OF/RHP Anthony Seguin (uncommitted).

Lone Star’s junior class is talented as well, with First Team All-District C/CIF Josh Villa (uncommitted) returning in 2024. Joining Villa on the infield for the junior class will be INF/UTL James Dagenhart (uncommitted), RHP/CIF Houston Farrar (uncommitted), RHP/INF Luke Day (uncommitted), and CIF/RHP Ross Norman (uncommitted).

A pair of underclassmen will look to make their varsity debuts in 2024 in LHP/OF Dominik Martinez (2026) and C/INF Jackson Greenway (2026). In the freshman class, keep an eye on these four as potential impact guys to begin their high school careers in C/INF Brayden Harlan, INF/RHP John Madden, UTL/RHP Cross Rodriguez, and CIF/OF Jose Robles.

The Rangers have a lot to like from top to bottom of the roster heading into 2024. With their returning pitching depth and potential of their offense, look for Coach Franke’s squad to be contenders again this season in the 5A class.

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Find more information on the 2024 Frisco Lone Star Rangers program below:

+ <<2024 Schedule>>
+ Follow Frisco Lone Star on X: @LSBNBoosters
+ Prep Baseball Texas, Power 30 Homepage

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