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: Fayetteville Wolves
Head Coach: Matt Collier
Classification & Area Number: Class 1A, Area 8
2025 Record (Finish): 21-12 (Sweet 16)

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• 3B/RHP Ethan Jones (Lawson State CC, 2026)
• C Brenton Cantrell (Lawson State CC, 2026)
• OF Eli Burns (2027)

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TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

• RHP Jackson Payton (2028)
• RHP Sawyer Braswell (2028)
• INF Adan Hernandez (2029)
• INF Chase Griffin (2029)

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OTHER UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

• OF Cam Hammonds (2026)
• RHP Carter Goins (2027)
• RHP Blake McDaniel (2027)
• UTL Eli Franklin (2027)
• OF Presley Duke (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Fayetteville enters the 2026 season coming off a strong 2025 campaign that saw the Wolves finish 21-12 and reach the Sweet 16. Offensively, this group was one of the most productive teams in Class 1A a year ago, hitting .329 as a team while returning an eye-popping 1,001 plate appearances from last season’s lineup. The Wolves also put constant pressure on opposing defenses, swiping 147 bases at a 93% success rate, and now bring back virtually the entire core that fueled that run, giving this team one of the most experienced and proven lineups in the classification.

The heart of that group starts with 3B/RHP Ethan Jones (2026), a Lawson State CC signee and Second Team All-State selection who was a true impact player on both sides of the ball in 2025, going 8-1 on the mound over 51.1 innings while also hitting .415 with 13 doubles and four home runs. Behind the plate, C Brenton Cantrell (2026), another Lawson State CC signee and Honorable Mention All-State pick, brings stability and production after batting .404 with five triples while allowing just three passed balls all season. In the outfield, OF Eli Burns (2027) returns after earning Second Team All-State honors of his own, hitting .424 while scoring 43 runs and stealing 27 bases. That core is supported by a deep and experienced group that includes OF Cam Hammonds (2026), RHP Carter Goins (2027), RHP Blake McDaniel (2027), UTL Eli Franklin (2027), and OF Presley Duke (2027), along with younger arms and position players such as RHP Jackson Payton (2028), RHP Sawyer Braswell (2028), INF Adan Hernandez (2029), and INF Chase Griffin (2029), all of whom add to the Wolves’ depth and versatility. On the mound, Fayetteville brings back every arm from last season’s staff, led by Jones, who posted an 8-1 record with a 1.63 ERA, and Goins, who went 5-1 with a 4.20 ERA. Payton was a key piece in relief with a 1.61 ERA, while Braswell adds another experienced option after posting a 4.09 ERA.

With every position player and every pitcher returning, Fayetteville enters 2026 with a deep, competitive lineup from top to bottom, plenty of team speed, and a roster full of multi-year starters who aren’t afraid of the moment. The Wolves should once again be a constant pressure offense while pairing that with a proven, experienced pitching staff that knows how to win games in Class 1A. As head coach Matt Collier put it, “Fayetteville baseball has their sights set on a deep playoff run. They will play one of the hardest, if not the hardest, schedule in 1A to get prepared for the challenges that playoffs present. With the entire 2025 team returning, this could be a fun team to watch.”

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

+ Follow them on Facebook: FHS Wolves 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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