The 2026 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds 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 Alabama.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the Jacksonville/Oxford/Montgomery area at the AISA or AHSAA state championships, 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 Alabama. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing our scheduled podcasts and releasing our preseason top-10 rankings in each AHSAA classification.

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, updating the top-10 ranks in each AHSAA classification, as well updating our Power 25 overall rankings. One thing, especially, you don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state, as well as the recaps and previews of the big games we’re covering.

*Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state, based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason.

High School: Bibb County Choctaws
Head Coach: Kevin May
Classification & Area Number: Class 4A, Area 6
2025 Record (Finish): 30-12 (Class 4A State Runner-Up)

 

---

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• RHP/SS Brayden Cash (Jacksonville State, 2027)
• UTL/RHP Ethan McMillan (Shelton State CC, 2026)
• 3B/RHP Kaige Watkins (2027)
• OF Scooter Sanders (2026)

---

TEAM OUTLOOK

Bibb County enters the 2026 season coming off a historic 2025 campaign that ended with a Class 4A state runner-up finish, falling to Deshler in Game 3 of the championship series. The Choctaws finished 30-12 and established themselves as one of the top programs in the state, and while seven starters graduated from that group, Bibb County returns several key pieces from last year’s run, particularly on the mound, that provide a strong foundation heading into the spring.

The pitching staff is once again a major strength, highlighted by the return of three of the team’s top four arms from 2025. RHP/SS Brayden Cash (Jacksonville State, 2027) put together a strong sophomore season, logging 48 innings with a 5-2 record, three saves, 51 strikeouts, and a 1.89 ERA, while also contributing offensively with a .263 average and seven doubles. UTL/RHP Ethan McMillan (Shelton State, 2026) returns after a standout season on the mound, finishing 7-2 across 69 innings with 77 strikeouts, three saves, and a 1.42 ERA, while also hitting .275 with eight doubles. 3B/RHP Kaige Watkins (2027) adds another experienced arm after throwing 37 innings with a 3-2 record, 26 strikeouts, and a 1.70 ERA, while also contributing offensively with a .278 average. Positionally, OF Scooter Sanders (2026) returns after hitting .261 in 2025 and provides continuity in the outfield. Sanders’ defensive ability in center field and impact on the bases give Bibb County an experienced option up the middle as new faces step into larger roles around him.

While Bibb County will be younger and less experienced overall after graduating seven starters, the return of multiple high-level arms and experienced contributors gives the Choctaws a clear identity entering 2026. Pitching and defense remain focal points, and team chemistry is viewed internally as a key strength as the roster continues to develop. As head coach Kevin May noted, “I’m excited for the 2026 season with this group. We graduated seven starters last year, but we return some special players who are competitors and, more importantly, outstanding leaders and teammates. We’ll be young, with quite a bit of inexperience at the varsity level, but our team chemistry is a real strength. I’m looking forward to watching this group grow together and become a tough team to beat late in the spring.” With championship-level experience still present and another year of growth ahead, Bibb County enters 2026 aiming to build off last season’s runner-up finish and remain a factor in Class 4A.

---

Find more information on the 2026 Bibb County program below:

+ Follow them on X or Facebook: @Bibb_Co | Bibb County Baseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2026 HS Team Previews

---

FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL ALABAMA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball Alabama on X
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Facebook

 

---

Related Content