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: Plano West Wolves
Head Coach: Robert "Kevin" Clark
UIL Classification: UIL Class 6A (District 6)
Team Strengths: Speed
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 10-16-1
Key Players Lost: Peyton Huff, Christian Gutierrez

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ C/OF James Raecek (2024; Dodge City CC) - Second Team All-District in 2023

*2024 James Raecek*

+ RHP Preston Paschal (2024; Pratt CC)
+ INF Cooper Marquez (2024; Dominican University)
+ RHP Jack Jacobson (2024; uncommitted)
+ C/INF Mitchell Morton (2025; Xavier) - *2021 Junior Future Games & 2023 Future Games Participant*
+ INF Armando Arias (2025; uncommitted)

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TOP NEWCOMERS

+ UTL/RHP Chris Lim (2027)

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FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW

+ UTL/RHP Chris Lim (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Plano West Wolves and Coach Kevin Clark look to rebound in 2024 behind a talented and veteran group. Coach Clark will likely start the season with four players committed to playing at the next level but has a couple guys who could declare before then.

A Second Team All-District Catcher in 2023 returns this season in Dodge City CC commit C/OF James Raecek (2024). Raecek is a toolsy backstop who earned a ton of praise after his performance this past October at our USA Prime Scout Day. At the event, Raecek ran a 6.73 60, had a 1.99 pop time to pair with a strong 79 mph arm behind the dish, and topped it off with a 96.7 mph max exit velocity with the bat. Raecek will be joined behind the dish with junior C/INF Mitchell Morton (Xavier commit). Morton is a player our staff has seen many times over the years through the 2021 Junior Future Games and this past summer’s Future Games, just to name a couple events he has attended. Morton is currently ranked No. 61 in the state, and is an impressive athlete behind the dish as well, posting a 7.00 60, a 1.87 pop time paired with a 79 mph arm, and a 91.7 mph max exit velocity for our staff in the past. Together, Morton and Raecek will make for one impressive catching duo throughout the season.

Also returning for the Wolves in 2024 are a pair of seniors who have also committed to playing at the next level in RHP Preston Paschal (Pratt CC) and INF Cooper Marquez (Dominican University). Marquez will be joined up the middle in the infield by junior Armando Arias (uncommitted), as the two should be stabilizing pieces for the infield headed into the spring. Uncommitted RHP Jack Jacobson (2024) also returns this season and should spearhead the pitching rotation alongside Paschal. Expected to join the fold for Plano West in 2024 is freshman UTL/RHP Chris Lim. Lim could see time both on the mound and elsewhere on the diamond, and should give Coach Clark a piece to build around for this year and the years to come.

After a tough 2023 that saw the Wolves miss out on postseason play, the arrow is pointing up for this year’s squad behind their talented upperclassmen. Look for the Wolves to try and get back into postseason contention in a tough 6A class this spring.

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Find more information on the 2024 Plano West Wolves program below:

+ Follow Plano West on X: @pwsbaseball
+ Prep Baseball Texas, Power 30 Homepage

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