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: Liberty Redhawks
Head Coach: Scott McGarrh
UIL Classification: UIL Class 5A (District 10)
Team Strengths: Versatility and Depth
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 18-19 (5A Regional Quarterfinalists)
Key Players Lost: Cooper Wixon, Ryan Healey, Jack Dehnisch and Jensen Cockrell

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ RHP Colby Thorsen (2024; Ouachita Baptist) - First Team All-District
+ UTL/RHP Brady Miller (2024; Hendrix) - Second Team All-District
+ RHP Wes Weaks (2024; Buena Vista)
+ C/INF Blake Ritchie (2024; uncommitted) - First Team All-District
+ P/UTL Ian Garza (2024; uncommitted) - Second Team All-District

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TOP NEWCOMERS

+ C/RHP Drew Miller (2025; uncommitted)
+ OF/LHP Nathan Wixon (2026)

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FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW

+ C Carson Higgs (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

After making a deep postseason push in 2023, the Liberty Redhawks return some intriguing pieces that could lead to another deep run in 2024. Coach Scott McGarrh’s squad will return four seniors who were worthy of All-District honors last season, as well as bring in some potential impact underclassmen for 2024.

Leading the way for the Redhawks on the mound will be Ouachita Baptist signee RHP Colby Thorsen (2024), who was a First Team All-District pitcher last spring. Likely to join Thorsen on the bump in 2024 will be Hendrix signee UTL/RHP Brady Miller (2024) and Buena Vista signee RHP Wes Weaks (2024). Miller was Second Team All-District in 2023 as a utility player for the Redhawks and is expected to contribute in many different ways again this season. Another returning arm to monitor is ambidextrous pitcher and utility Ian Garza (2024; uncommitted), who was Second Team All-District last year as a designated hitter. The lead battery mate for these arms will be First Team All-District catcher from last season, senior Blake Ritchie (uncommitted).

A junior two-way player is expected to contribute for the varsity Redhawks in 2024 in C/RHP Drew Miller (uncommitted). From the sophomore class, look for another two-way player to get in the mix on varsity this spring in OF/LHP Nathan Wixon. Freshman C/UTL Carson Higgs will begin his high school career this spring, and could be a key building block for Coach McGarrh’s program for the next few years.

The Redhawks will have a versatile roster heading into the spring, as evidenced by the amount of two-way players they possess. Look for the Redhawks’ pitching to keep them in a ton of games this spring as the offense sorts itself out over the course of the season. Liberty looks to have the pieces to make a similar postseason run in the state’s 5A class headed into 2024.

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Find more information on the 2024 Liberty Redhawks program below:

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

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