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2026 Boaz Pirates Team Preview

December 16, 2025
Austin Sharp
Alabama Scouting Director

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: Boaz Pirates
Head Coach: Adam Keenum
Classification & Area Number: Class 5A, Area 13
2025 Record (Finish): 23-10 (1st Round)

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

SS/RHP Sage Bennett (8/13/25)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

TEAM OUTLOOK

Boaz enters the 2026 season looking to build on a strong 23–10 campaign that ended with a tightly contested first-round playoff series loss to Scottsboro. The Pirates showed throughout 2025 that they could compete with anyone in Class 5A, and with a talented core returning, particularly on the position-player side, Boaz heads into 2026 with optimism and a chance to take another step forward. Improved athleticism, added speed, and defensive versatility highlight the roster as the Pirates aim to convert last year’s experience into postseason progress.

Offensively, Boaz returns several middle-of-the-order bats capable of producing consistently. 3B/RHP Bradyn Bennett (2026) is expected to be a focal point on both sides of the ball after starting Game 1 of the area series and the opening game of the playoffs last spring. He provides power potential in the lineup while also serving as a trusted arm in big moments. The offense is further anchored by SS/RHP Sage Bennett (2027), a returning All-State selection who led the team in hitting with a .408 average, .500 OBP, and 42 hits. Bennett’s ability to impact the game offensively, defensively, and on the mound makes him one of the most important pieces on the roster. Behind the plate, C Cooper Whorton (2027) returns after a strong two-way season, throwing out 14 of 30 would-be base stealers while hitting .354 with a .414 OBP, and he is expected to once again slot into the heart of the order. On the mound, Boaz returns several arms who are ready to step into expanded roles. RHP Landon Cannady (2027) logged 33 innings primarily in relief last season but is projected to move into the starting rotation in 2026. LHP Haagan Dodd (2027) brings upside from the left side after striking out 32 hitters in 28 innings and will also be relied upon to take on more innings. While pitching depth remains the program’s biggest question mark entering the season, the development of these arms will play a major role in Boaz’s ceiling. Athleticism and versatility remain strengths across the roster. UTL/RHP Garrison Lusk (2026) is expected to step into a larger offensive role as a gritty, dependable piece capable of filling multiple spots. Young contributors are also poised to impact the lineup, including OF/C Mac Thompson (2029), who gained valuable varsity experience last year while starting most of the season in right field and hitting .269. In the underclass ranks, INF Beau Bennett (2029) offers high-upside versatility across the infield, while OF Dayton Porter (2028) brings plus speed and the ability to cover significant ground defensively, an element that could further elevate Boaz’s run prevention.

With a strong returning offensive core, added athleticism, and several arms ready to take on expanded roles, Boaz enters the 2026 season with clear upside in Class 5A Area 13. The Pirates’ ceiling will largely be determined by the growth and consistency of their pitching staff, particularly as younger arms step into starting roles. As head coach Adam Keenum notes, “We have the ability to be better offensively than we were last year. Biggest question mark is on the mound.” If that group develops as expected, Boaz has the potential to turn last year’s experience into a deeper postseason run in 2026.

Find more information on the 2026 Boaz High School program below:

+ Follow them on X or Facebook: @BoazBaseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2026 HS Team Previews

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