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: Collinsville Panthers
Head Coach: Ernie Willingham
Classification & Area Number: Class 3A, Area 13
2025 Record (Finish): 20-10 (Sweet 16)

 

---

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• RHP/OF Gavin Lang (2027)
• SS/RHP Mason McAteer (2027)
• C/RHP Jeremiah Killian (2027)
• OF/RHP Sylas Adams (2027)
• OF Colton Pettus (2028)

---

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

• UTL Brantley Daugherty (2029)
• UTL Noah Johnson (2029)
• UTL Jacob Niles (2029)
• UTL Bentley Jones (2029)

---

TEAM OUTLOOK

Collinsville enters the 2026 season coming off another strong postseason run, finishing 20-10 in 2025 and falling just short in the Sweet 16 with a 6-5 walk-off loss in Game 3 against Gordo. It marked the third straight season the Panthers were eliminated in the second round, with the last two exits coming by a single run in decisive games against teams that advanced to the championship series. With that context, Collinsville heads into 2026 carrying both experience and motivation as it looks to take the next step in Class 3A Area 13.

The Panthers return a core group that has been together for several years and logged extensive varsity experience. RHP/OF Gavin Lang (2027), SS/RHP Mason McAteer (2027), C/RHP Jeremiah Killian (2027), and OF/RHP Sylas Adams (2027) have all played, and in many cases started, since the seventh grade, giving Collinsville rare continuity across the lineup and pitching staff. Lang and McAteer anchor the staff and provide two-way value, while Killian returns behind the plate as another key arm, and Adams brings experience in the outfield and on the mound. OF Colton Pettus (2028) rounds out the returning group after gaining meaningful varsity time and is expected to continue contributing in the lineup. Younger players are also expected to factor into the 2026 picture. UTL Brantley Daugherty (2029), UTL Noah Johnson (2029), UTL Jacob Niles (2029), and UTL Bentley Jones (2029) all return as underclass options who provide depth across multiple positions and are slated to fill everyday roles in the lineup based on the projected starting nine. On the mound, Collinsville once again leans on a staff built around familiarity and experience. Lang (2027) and McAteer (2027) headline the rotation, with Killian (2027), Adams (2027), and Daugherty (2029) rounding out a group that has logged meaningful innings in high-pressure postseason settings. That experience gives the Panthers flexibility as they navigate both area play and postseason matchups.

Experience throughout the lineup stands as Collinsville’s defining strength entering 2026. With a core that has played together for years and has repeatedly competed deep into the playoffs, the Panthers enter the season with clear expectations. As head coach Ernie Willingham noted, “Our guys have been knocked out of the second round in the last three seasons. The last two were to teams that made the championship series and both of them were in Game 3 by one run. We believe that we can move further with this group of guys.” With continuity, postseason experience, and a motivated roster, Collinsville heads into 2026 aiming to break through and make a deeper run in Class 3A.

---

Find more information on the 2026 Collinsville program below:

+ Follow them on X or Facebook: Collinsville High 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