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: Central-Phenix City Red Devils
Head Coach: AJ Kehoe
Classification & Area Number: Class 7A, Area 4
2025 Record (Finish): 33-10 (Elite 8)

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• LHP/OF Cam Norton (Lurleen B. Wallace CC, 2026)
• INF Carter Gilley (2028)
• INF Jaylen Carter (2028)

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OTHER UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

• INF Edward Baldwin (2026)
• RHP/INF Logan Wallace (2026)
• 1B/RHP Hayden Jones (2027)
• OF/LHP Logan Brock (2027)
• RHP/INF Ashton Blankenship (2027)
• OF/RHP Andrew Carrerro (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Central-Phenix City enters the 2026 season coming off another strong year that saw the Red Devils finish 33-10 and reach the Elite 8, falling to Fairhope, while also capturing their fifth straight area championship in one of the toughest areas in the state. The 2025 season was highlighted by Sam Brown breaking the school’s single-season home run record and continued proof that this program is a yearly contender, with their area having represented the South in the state championship game eight of the last eleven seasons. While the success remains the standard, this spring brings a new challenge as the Red Devils turn the page to a much younger roster.

The roster will look very different in 2026, with LHP/OF Cam Norton (Lurleen B. Wallace CC, 2026) returning as a key piece to build around, providing experience on the mound and in the lineup. INF Carter Gilley (2028) and INF Jaylen Carter (2028) both saw action in roughly 15 games last season and will be counted on to take on much larger roles this year. Beyond that trio, much of the production will come from a new wave of contributors, including OF/RHP Andrew Carrerro (2027) and a group of upperclassmen such as INF Edward Baldwin (2026), RHP/INF Logan Wallace (2026), 1B/RHP Hayden Jones (2027), OF/LHP Logan Brock (2027), and RHP/INF Ashton Blankenship (2027), all of whom add versatility and athleticism across the diamond. With so many new faces, Central will lean heavily on depth, speed, and matchup flexibility as roles are defined over the course of the season.

Looking ahead, this group’s strengths lie in its athleticism, positional depth, and ability to mix and match lineups and pitching options as the year progresses. “I really like our club! We have to throw them in the fire early and make sure they will have the ability to slow the game down when we get to area play. It’s a complete rebuild, but feel good about it,” said head coach AJ Kehoe. With a demanding schedule and a young roster gaining experience, the Red Devils will focus on growth early in the season with the goal of peaking when area play arrives and continuing the program’s standard of competing deep into the postseason.

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Find more information on the 2026 Central Phenix city program below:

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

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FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL ALABAMA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

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

 

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