2024 Team Preview: Krum Bobcats
January 18, 2024
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: Krum Bobcats
Head Coach: Carl Hollums
UIL Classification: UIL Class 4A (District 8)
Team Strengths: Well Rounded.
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 17-19 (4A Area Finalists)
Key Players Lost: Creed Payne, Gavin Flores, Brayden Loucks
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
+ RHP/OF Yadiel Berrios (2024; uncommitted)
+ 1B Jesse Elkington (2024; uncommitted) - Second Team All-District in 2023
+ C Gage Guthrie (2024; uncommitted) - Honorable Mention All-District in 2023
+ OF Jonathan Massengale (2024; uncommitted) - Second Team All-District in 2023
+ RHP Jakob Vardas (2024; uncommitted) - Honorable Mention All-District in 2023
+ INF Dillon Flores (2025; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
+ C Dillon Keyes (2025; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
+ RHP/OF Bridger Murray (2025; uncommitted)
+ INF Alex Parsons (2025; uncommitted) - Second Team All-District in 2023
+ OF Ty Taber (2025; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
TOP NEWCOMERS
+ OF Brayden Jones (2025; uncommitted)
+ MIF Luke Tucker (2026)
*2026 Luke Tucker*
FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW
+ OF Trent Johnson (2027)
+ C Hudson James (2027)
TEAM OUTLOOK
After making it past the first round of the 4A playoffs in 2023, the Krum Bobcats return in 2024 more experienced and well rounded as a team. Led by Coach Carl Hollums, the Bobcats have ten key returners from 2023, with eight of them earning All-District honors a season ago.
In the senior class, the Bobcats will feature four players who earned All-District distinction last season in 1B Jesse Elkington (uncommitted - 2nd Team), C Gage Guthrie (uncommitted - Honorable Mention), OF Jonathan Massengale (uncommitted - 2nd Team), and RHP Jakob Vardas (uncommitted - Honorable Mention). These four will also be joined in the senior class by two-way player RHP/OF Yadiel Berrios (uncommitted).
The Bobcats’ junior class returns five guys from 2023, and welcomes in a newcomer expected to factor more heavily this spring. A trio of First Team All-District players are back in INF Dillon Flores (uncommitted), C Dillon Keyes (uncommitted), and OF Ty Taber (uncommitted). Joining them as returners will be INF Alex Parsons (uncommitted), who was Second Team All-District last year, and RHP/OF Bridger Murray (2025; uncommitted). OF Brayden Jones (2025; uncommitted) will be new to the varsity squad for Krum this spring and will compete for playing time in an already talented outfield group.
Krum’s sophomore class may be a year away from fully contributing to the varsity squad. However, look for MIF Luke Tucker to make an impact on varsity this year somewhere on the infield. Tucker was a winner at our DFW Fall ID this past October where he showed speed (7.06 60), a strong arm for the left side of the infield (85 mph), and pop in the bat with a max exit velocity of 92.6 mph. Looking further down the program, a pair of freshmen in OF Trent Johnson and C Hudson James, could be potential impact varsity guys to know for this year or down the road.
With the experience this returning roster received last season and the potential for some other pieces to step up, look for this 2024 Bobcats squad to be back in the 4A playoffs this season.
Find more information on the 2024 Krum Bobcats program below:
+ <<2024 Schedule>>
+ Follow Krum on X: @Krum_Baseball
+ Prep Baseball Texas, Power 30 Homepage