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: Cordova Blue Devils
Head Coach: John Michael Knighton
Classification & Area Number: Class 4A, Area 9
2025 Record (Finish): 15-17 (Sweet 16)

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• RHP/INF Caleb Kilpatrick (2026)
• 3B Jackson Stacks (2026)
• SS Lucas Vance (2026)
• 1B Dylan Williams (2026)
• C Jace Kiser (2027)
• RHP/OF Chesley Harbison (2028)

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TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

• OF Carter Hendrix (2028)
• INF Connor Williams (2028)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Cordova enters the 2026 season coming off a year that featured both highs and hard-earned experience. The Blue Devils finished 15-17 in 2025, but that record doesn’t tell the full story of a team that won the Walker County Championship, claimed the Class 4A Area 9 title, and advanced to the Sweet 16 after a first-round sweep of Cherokee County. Playing a challenging regular-season schedule helped prepare this group for postseason baseball, and that experience is now a foundation as Cordova looks to take another step forward this spring.

A strong core returns on both sides of the ball, starting with RHP/INF Caleb Kilpatrick (2026), 3B Jackson Stacks (2026), SS Lucas Vance (2026), and 1B Dylan Williams (2026), giving the Blue Devils experience and stability throughout the infield. Behind the plate, C Jace Kiser (2027) returns as a key piece, while RHP/OF Chesley Harbison (2028) adds versatility and depth on the mound and in the lineup. The next wave is already pushing for roles as well, led by OF Carter Hendrix (2028) and INF Connor Williams (2028), who both add to a group that brings back eight starters overall and two of the top three arms from last season’s staff.

With that much experience returning, Cordova’s strengths start with continuity, depth, and having been tested at the varsity and playoff levels. The Blue Devils will once again face a demanding schedule in 2026, but they’ll do so with a roster that’s been through championship runs and postseason battles. As head coach John Michael Knighton put it, “The Cordova Blue Devils will look to build on the last three seasons of playoff runs with an expectation of a deeper playoff run for 2026. The Blue Devils have several key starters returning on the mound and at the plate and their mix of talent and experience will be a strength they rely on throughout the 2026 season.”

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

+ Follow them on Facebook: Cordova High School 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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