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For the next two weeks we will roll out our Preseason Power 25. Three staff members voted on their version of the thirty best teams in the Preseason Power 25, with a possibility of 90 total vote points for each team. We will release three teams per day for the first week and then move to two teams per day once we reach the Top 10 next week. Voting for preseason teams centers more around the depth of talent on that team, as well as where it stacks up within their region/area, as opposed to strictly predicting schedule outcomes. 

Generally, larger schools and classifications have a greater depth of player talent on roster. However, once the season begins and records begin to take shape, the Power 25 will be adjusted as needed. In addition to that, we will debut our Private School Top 10 around April 1st and Small School Top 10 around mid-April. 

Making its debut into the Preseason Power 25 is the southwest Virginia power, Halifax County. 

#23 Halifax County

The Comets finished 2023 with a record of 19-5 and their season ended in a tough one run game to the hands of EC Glass. Halifax had a strong start, only losing one game before May, but would stumble a little down the stretch. They dropped four straight in the first two weeks of May, before being defeated by the Hilltoppers a few weeks later. Halifax returns five starters with senior standouts Mason Hatcher (Radford), Colin Mabe (Hampden-Sydney), and Aaron Crutchfield. A trio of sophomores in Carter Thomasson, Garrison Colwell, and Logan Clark will be enormous parts of this team’s journey if they want to get back to the state tournament. Clark can provide valuable two-way talent and Thomasson should be the anchor behind the plate. The district could potentially be a little lighter in arm talent than year’s past, but they will have to fight through some tough arms to make it through regionals.

Final Thoughts:

"Mason Hatcher has thrown in some very big games over the course of his high school career and has the ability to lead the Comets to the state tournament. Halifax started multiple freshmen last year and that could pay big dividends this season, with Clark, Thomasson, and Colwell being key figures for this club. Biggest question for the Comets may be depth on the mound, but if you know anything about that program, know they will show up with arms that compete. The region is down just a bit this year and I think it sets up well for Halifax."